Dancing Lessons
by Fernalidana
Summary: One month after the defeat of Ultimecia, life in Balamb Garden continues on. Will the petite protagonist get the guy she wants? Chapter twenty five: As with any good finale, the leads take a solo bow and share their thoughts.
1. Garden

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 8 but I've played it all the way through. That should count for something, right?

1: Garden

My white dressed swirled around me as I gracefully danced on the ballroom floor. Guy after guy would ask me for a dance and I would humbly accept. Throughout the whole party I was waiting for a certain guy to ask me. He stood shyly on the sidelines, watching me pass from one hand to another. I was allowed a break and that's when I noticed him leave the wall and walk over to me. My heart began to beat faster.

"May I have the pleasure of this dance?" he asked. I gave him my hand and he swept me onto the floor. I rested my head on his chest; his heartbeat was in sync with my own. It was warm in his arms and I never wanted the moment to end. I glanced up at his handsome face. The music died away and a new song was put in.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

I cringed at the noise. What in the _world_?

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Dang! It's my alarm! I groggily reached over and turned it off. How rude to wake me up right in the middle of a nice dream! Hopefully I can get back to sleep…

I smiled at my dance partner and we continued the dance. My feet never got tired and after three or four dances with this handsome man I was still active. He and I parted ways, however, and I visited with some of my friends. One man in particular had decided to be a wallflower. He hadn't even asked me to dance. I stood before him and glared at him with my hands on my hips.

"Are you just going to stand there all day?" I demanded.

"I don't wanna dance," he grunted, tightening his crossed arms.

"Sure you do!" I insisted. "Come on!" I grabbed his arm and dragged him onto the dance floor. I found a nice girl and forced him onto her. "And you'd better have a good time, or else!" He meekly obeyed me and danced with the girl I had paired him up with. Satisfied, I returned to my date and we danced more. It was a magical night that…

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Crud! Not again! I better see what time it is.

10: 30 AM

"Oh NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I slept in _again_!"

I quickly hopped out of bed and forced on my uniform. I grabbed my materials off my table and raced out of the dorm. The center of my school is like a gigantic wheel with different spokes branching out to other areas of the school. The dormitories are located in one of those spokes, classes are found in another. I skidded into the spoke that led to my classroom and race-walked the rest of the way. There was no need to draw attention to myself.

I stopped a few inches away from the door to catch my breath. Once I got myself composed, I quietly crept to the doorway. My instructor was preoccupied with his lecture, thankfully. The other students in my class were scribbling down notes. My eyes lighted on my empty desk. A friend of mine was sitting at the next to it. I mouthed his name, not wanting the instructor to notice me. He continued to scribble. I waved my arms but to no avail. He put down his pencil and stretched his arms over his head. He idly turned his head towards the door; his eyes widened when he saw me. His arms returned to the desk and he flashed a wide grin. I smiled back at him. He pointed to my desk and winked at me; I nodded in understanding. He brought out a straw, then put something from his mouth into the straw. He put the straw in his mouth and blew. The projectile flew all the way across the room and hit another student on the temple. That student shot his hand up.

"Instructor!" The instructor glanced over at him. Being thus occupied, I tiptoed over to my desk and took a seat. My friend and I shook hands.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Someone hit me with a spitball!" The class chuckled quietly. The instructor sighed irritably and eyed my friend.

"_Zell_!" His head jerked up.

"What?"

"How old are you?"

"Oh, come on! You don't think that _I_ did that, do you?" The instructor walked our way, shaking his head slowly.

"I know you are a SeeD, but that is no excuse to act like a child."

"I'm sorry."

"If you're going to say that, at least _act_ like you're really sorry." Zell grinned and thought it best to keep his mouth shut. He's so funny; I'm glad he's my friend. The instructor turned his attention towards me. "Have you been here this whole time?" I cringed.

"Uh… yes?" He raised his eyebrow doubtfully. I hung my head. "No, Instructor."

"I didn't think so." Zell and I exchanged worried glances. "I want both of you to stay after class." It wasn't a request. It was an order.

"But we'll miss lunch!" complained Zell.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Dincht, but it's for your own good." Zell groaned and rested his head on his desk. I attempted to pay attention for the rest of the class but it just wasn't any use. Instead I took to studying Zell. I was in an art class and that had helped me notice little things that other people might miss. Zell had blonde hair that stuck straight up in little spikes. There was a black tattoo-- I think it's a tattoo-- on the left side of his face. It was like a curved lightning bolt. His eyes were currently hidden, but I knew them well: they were dark but cheerful and full of mischief. He usually wore a smile and would've looked strange without one. Instead of notes on the lecture, his paper was covered in literal scribbles. He was the only one in the room that _wasn't_ wearing a uniform. Then again, he was never one to blend in.

The outfit Zell was wearing could've been classified as his uniform, since he wore it all the time. He wore a white shirt with a black short jacket over it. His legs were covered by blue jeans that weren't quite long enough to pass his ankles. His red socks stuck out from his black boots. On his hands were a pair of fighting gloves. These were the ones that exacted the least amount of damage; they were made of cloth and didn't have anything extra to make his punch stronger. Seeing those gloves made me realize he would be in the training center after lunch. 

Finally the hour was over and Zell and I were called to the front. Our instructor gave us a long lecture about the importance of being on time and paying attention in class. I've had this exact same lecture preached to me dozens of times before. It was like all the instructors were given a speech to memorize in case one of their students was late or wasn't paying attention. I poked Zell and opened my mouth as if to yawn. I patted my open mouth with my hand. He grinned and nodded in agreement. I would've fallen asleep right there if our instructor hadn't finished his lecture when he did. He warned us "never to do it again", which we promised we wouldn't. We exited the room, grinning happily.

"FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Zell shouted, stretching his arms over his head. Many students on their way to lunch gave him strange looks. He didn't care. "It's about time we got outta there!" His stomach growled, demanding food. "Man, I'm hungry! You wanna get something to eat?"

"Well, actually, I'm meeting someone else for lunch," I said. I didn't bother telling him _who_ that someone was, because he would be able to figure it out. His smile wavered for a moment but stayed where it was.

"Oh, that's okay. I'll see you there anyway!" He waved and eagerly raced towards the cafeteria. I knew the reason for his speed: hotdogs. The guy is _addicted_ to those things, and they go _fast_ at our school. I shook my head, smiling fondly, and made my way to my friend's classroom. He wasn't a SeeD when he first came to our Garden but will become one when he takes the exam in the winter. I came to the door of his class and waited, rocking myself back and forth on the balls of my feet.

The class let out. Many of students I knew, and I greeted them with a wave. He was one of the last to exit the room. My eyes rested on him and I could feel my insides churning. His brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail as always, his lips in that smug grin of his. His black fedora was cradled in his hands. When he was out of the classroom, he flipped it back on his head with a flick of his wrist. His eyes held the power of a storm and the gentleness of a spring day. He wore a tan overcoat on top of a black shirt. He also wore tan pants with a lighter shade of tan on each of his knees. He wore knee-high brown boots that were slightly covered by his pants.

"Howdy!" I greeted, using a term he enjoyed a lot. His handsome face broke out into a grin. It was an honest sort of smile, not boyish like Zell's.

"Well, fancy meetin' _you_ here!" he exclaimed. I giggled, blushing furiously. Other girlish giggles joined my own. I turned and saw about ten or so girls clumped together. They waved furiously at my friend and he tipped his hat at them. I wanted to take out my nun chucks and beat them all across the head. He signed and waved to me. "See ya later, I guess." My heart sank as I watched him join the gaggle of females.

"See ya later," I echoed blankly. A lump formed in my throat and my vision was blurred by tears. I took several deep breaths to calm myself and wiped the tears away. My stomach reminded me of my need for food. I would have to worry about my boy problems later. I straightened my uniform and _walked_ to the cafeteria. I can be dignified if I want to! Really! I just… usually don't want to.

The cafeteria was already filled with chattering students. I spotted Zell at a table by himself. This wasn't because he wasn't popular; it was because he crammed food into his mouth at a fast speed. My other male friend was far from being alone. I glared at the girls that surrounded him irritably. My attention was caught by a girl my age waving to me. I brightened up when I saw that it was my roommate. She had kindly saved a seat for me and had even ordered my food. She's so sweet to me. She used to like Zell, but she lost interest in him or something. I never figured out all the details.

"Hi, Oonagh," I greeted, sitting down across from her.

"Glad to see you, Miss Petite. How was your class today?" Her pet name for me is Miss Petite. It's because I'm so small and thin. She's thin too but I don't have a pet name for her. Her name is Oonagh Reigmar and we've been roommates since I came to Balamb. She wears her brown hair in pigtails and she has beautiful gray eyes. She always looked proper in her school uniform and even when she sat down it hardly ever wrinkled. I wish I could be like her.

"Boring, as usual. You?"

"I learned a lot, but I'm sure you don't want to hear about that."

"You're right." She laughed, politely covering her mouth with her hand. She had ordered me a salad, knowing that I was a vegetarian. I took up my fork and dug into it. It was a delicious salad. I just can't understand why some people would want to eat hotdogs when they could have a salad like this.

"Miss Petite, you'll never guess what happened to me in the library this morning."

"I wasn't up this morning, so you're right." Her hand went to her mouth again as she erupted in giggles. Her laugh sounds like rain pattering on a roof. She calmed down quickly, another thing I envy her of.

"That's why I'm going to tell you. I was in the library reading when Instructor Oren walked in." My lips quivered into a mischievous grin. I could tell where _this_ was going. "He came right up to me and said 'I read that book. It's very good.' Then he smiled at me!" Her face broke into a grin of her own. She had a huge crush on her instructor, a guy named Walter Oren. I once had to clean out the desks in his classroom for detention. He's a pretty nice guy, and smart too.

"Did he really?"

"Yes!"

"Oh, my god! That's wonderful!" She and I squealed simultaneously. Others that were sitting close by gave us strange looks. "Good for you!" She collected herself and returned to her dignified state.

"What about _you_?" she questioned. She raised her eyebrows significantly.

"See for yourself," I sighed, jerking my thumb over my shoulder. It only took her a glance to see what I was talking about.

"Oh, Miss Petite. We all _know_ he's a big flirt, but he doesn't mean anything by it." I nodded and stuck some salad into my mouth. I chewed in thought and swallowed.

"I don't mind _that_. It's the ignoring me part I don't like."

"Just give him more time," she advised. "He may be shy of you."

"_Shy_? A guy doesn't go around flirting like he does being _shy_!" I exclaimed. I meekly ducked my head, realizing I might have been a bit too loud. Luckily I wasn't the only big mouth in the cafeteria, and my outburst went unnoticed.

"You're not _like_ all the other girls, Miss Petite," Oonagh reminded me, pointing her finger at me. "That's what makes you special." I smiled and thanked her for her kind words. She was right, of course.

"I hope he gets over his shyness soon. You know how impatient I am!" This time we both laughed… LOUD. 


	2. Big Plans

2: Big Plans

Oonagh and I finished lunch and went our separate ways. I had a meeting to go to and she had to help in the library. The meeting I was going to was a mandatory meeting of the Garden committee. I made my way to the Quad, where the meeting was being held. I had to be there first because I was the president. I made sure that the stage was set up and the lighting was just right.

"Selphina!" I turned my head and greeted my friend Jacob with a smile. He was a newer addition to the committee. He had black hair and brown eyes and was very friendly. He was training under Squall to be a gunblade expert.

"Jacob!" I shrieked in response. He grinned and took a seat. "You're here early!"

"I know!" Every few seconds another member of the committee would filter inside the Quad. I checked them off a list I had with me. Finally every name had a check mark next to it. I smiled brightly at all my friends in the Garden committee. There were about ten of us in the committee, and every single one of them was good at something that was helpful to our organization. I tried to get Zell and Squall on the committee about a month ago, but neither of them were interested. On the stage there was a microphone waiting for me, but that'd have been overkill. 

"Thanks for coming, guys!"

"You're welcome!" the jovial few shouted.

"If I'm not mistaken, one of our members has a great idea for something we can organize soon. Everyone, please welcome the committee's vice-president, Nida Jones." I clapped along with the others. Nida meekly got up from his chair and walked onstage. He looked so ordinary, so plain. That's where looks deceived. Nida was a great friend and an even greater planner. His brown hair was neatly combed as always, his brown eyes sparkling with life. I convinced him to join the committee before he was given the task of Garden pilot. We haven't had a need to fly around lately, so he's back to his first duty. I gave him a hug; he gently returned the gesture. The microphone was for him to use; he stepped up to it and cleared his throat.

"Thank you very much, Selphie."

"No problem!" I chirped. Several people in the room laughed.

"This idea is not entirely mine," he continued. "Selphie and I have been discussing this for some time. We thought it a great idea to hold a Spring Festival of sorts. It will be sort of like a SeeD graduation, only _everyone_ will be allowed to come." Murmurs floated around the room.

"Tell 'em about the tickets!" I insisted. He smiled at me.

"I was getting to that. To come, everyone in the Garden will be required to purchase a ticket from one of us. If they don't buy a ticket, they can't come. The tickets are ten Gil each. The profits will go to the committee fund so we'll be able to hold events like this in the future."

"How much is this gonna cost?" someone demanded.

"Let Nida and I worry about money. You guys worry about putting up posters and selling tickets!" I advised. "Marie is standing at the doorway and will hand you a roll of thirty tickets as you exit. I think that'll be enough, unless someone from outside the Garden wants to come." The Garden committee members got up from their seats and exited the Quad. Nida and I stayed behind making sure they each got a roll of tickets. 

"Now what?" asked Nida.

"Duh!" I laughed, pushing him playfully. He grimaced and rubbed his arm.

"Please, Selphie, not so rough."

"Oops! Sorry!" I giggled. I smiled and answered his question: "We announce our plans to the whole school!" We walked out of the Quad and got our roll of tickets. Marie smiled at us and wished us luck. On our way to Headmaster Cid's office, I tried to convince Nida to let _me_ do the announcement. He was a shy person by nature so he gladly let me take it. I think he was glad I was so eager to do it. We rode on the elevator to the third floor. I began giggling like crazy as we got closer to the Headmaster's office.

"Selphie, if you don't calm down, I'll have to do this," hissed Nida warningly. 

"I'm okay, I'm okay," I insisted. I knocked on the Headmaster's door.

"Come in." Nida and I obeyed. Headmaster Cid was busy writing something on a piece of paper. Nida and I politely waited until he was finished. His brown hair was neatly parted, gray strands peeking out here and there. Spectacles perched on his nose and his wise face held a few wrinkles. He wore a crisp white shirt with a red knitted vest over it. I knew that he also wore khaki pants and shiny dress shoes. He had the appearance of someone's grandfather. At last he looked up, his face crinkling into a smile. We saluted smartly. "Selphie. Nida. To what do I owe this honor?"

"I need to use the PA!" I said. The headmaster's smile widened.

"Very well, but try not to shout into it."

"Okay!" I saluted again and rode the special elevator to where the PA system was located. I had used the system before and knew how it worked. I found the correct button and pushed it. The preliminary chime sounded over my head. I took a deep breath and broke into my most cheerful grin. I knew the students wouldn't be able to see me, but it was my belief that smiling can be heard just as well as seen.

"Hi, everyone! This is Selphie Tilmitt of the Garden committee. Myself and the other members of the committee have decided to hold a Spring Festival…" I paused and counted on my fingers, "about a month from now. In order to go, you have to buy a ticket from one of the members. Please see myself or Nida Jones if you have any questions. Thanks a bunch and have a splendid day!" I turned off the PA. _That went well._ I never had a plan for what I would say, but when it got down to crunch time I always formed the right words.

I rode back down the elevator to fetch Nida. He and Headmaster Cid were talking about something. It would've been rude to listen in, so I waited outside the office until they were through. He joined me a few minutes later and we went down to the first floor together. We both had another class to go to. I certainly didn't want to be late to two classes in the same day! We said our good-byes and parted ways. My heart was pounding with excitement. I was really looking forward to this Spring Festival.

See, I didn't have such a great time at my SeeD graduation. I thought this would be a great way to make up for that. Also, my friend Irvine never really went to a Balamb Garden party. This way I could show him how fun they are. I had a secret ulterior motive that I didn't really want anyone to know: I wanted Irvine Kinneas to ask me to the Festival.


	3. Tickets, Anyone?

3: Tickets, Anyone?

Nida and I set up two tables near the center of the Garden so we would get the "pick of the litter". The posters that the other committee members made were wonderful. They drew pictures of gardens and people dancing. They would have to help out with the decorations as well. We divided up the workload so that everyone would have a job in making the Festival a success. I'm not graceful and Nida isn't an artist. I guess we balance each other out, though, because he's really quiet and I'm… not. Like I said, everyone in the committee has a talent that's useful.

"Hi!" I greeted, perking up as a student walked towards me. "Would you like to buy some…?" The student walked right on past me. "Okay, never mind." Nida sat quietly behind his table and was also ignored. He usually _is_ ignored, so he was used to it. "Hey, Nida! Any luck over there?" I shouted. Many students gave me weird looks. He shook his head. We had positioned our tables on either side of the center so we wouldn't be crowding each other.

SeeDs don't have to go to as many classes as training students, so I had a whole bunch of free time to sell tickets. Nida was a SeeD too. Being on the Garden committee got us out of class too. I love this school. As SeeDs walked by us on their way to their jobs, I tried selling tickets. They pretty much ignored me. Jerks. I stuck my tongue out at some of them as they walked by. Students training to be SeeDs acted pretty much the same. This was going nowhere fast.

Since no one was buying tickets, I had lots of downtime to think about things. If my calendar was right, it had been a month since my friends and I battled Ultimecia. Time was just flying by. It didn't seem like that long ago at all. When we defeated her, I was a little scared that all the Gardens would shut down, since their primary purpose was to rid the world of Ultimecia. Headmaster Cid later explained to me that the Garden was also a haven for orphans. SeeDs were constantly needed even _after_ Ultimecia's defeat, so they would continue to be mercenaries/soldiers for anyone that wanted them. What a relief! It'd be a real bummer if my friends and I were the cause of SeeDs going out of business, especially since _we_ were SeeDs too. 

"Hi!" Another potential customer was walking by. "Would you like to…?" They hurried on past me and didn't even _look_ at poor Nida. I feel so neglected. I stood up and waved my tickets at the retreating student. "Hey, buddy! Get back over here and buy a ticket!" This only made the person walk faster.

"Selphie, you're drawing some unwanted attention," warned Nida.

"Oh, who cares?" He sighed and decided to give up. That's the wisest thing to do when you're around me: just let me have my way. I started giggling crazily again. I never _could_ figure out why people looked at me strangely when I did that. I calmed down and got ready to sell tickets. "Hi, would you like…?" As before, I was completely ignored. This was going to be a _long_ month.

_____

In my next class, the instructor was late. We all filed in and got out our things to take notes and no one was there! Shouts of joy erupted from my classmates and I could tell they were planning some mischief in the instructor's absence. I was too tired from trying to sell tickets to make any trouble. I laid my head on my desk and tried to take a nap. Of course my classmates didn't want to take a nap. They were bouncing off the walls-- some almost literally-- and yelling things that weren't appropriate in a classroom. I always have my nun chucks with me, and I was _really_ tempted to use them.

"Selphie? Hey, wake up!" Someone was poking me on the head. I grunted and looked up. My vision was a little blurry but I could still tell what was going on. There was one kid sitting at the instructor's chair with his feet on the desk. Others were making paper balls and throwing them at each other.

"Whaizzit?" I slurred. Zell was standing over me, his huge grin blinding me.

"What're the tickets for?" I stifled a yawn.

"The Garden committee's holding a Spring Festival. Weren't you listening to my announcement?" He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. 

"I was busy sleeping."

"Oh, okay." I put my head back down on my desk and closed my eyes. He rapped his knuckles on the desktop. I glared at him irritably.

"How many do you have?"

"Thirty."

"How many did you start with?"

"Thirty."

"Oh." His smile became slightly less bright for an instant, then picked up its usual radiance. He picked up the roll of tickets and observed them. "Didn't anybody want to buy one?"

"Nope. They all just ignored me." I really wanted to take a nap but Zell wouldn't let me do it. 

"Mind if I try?"

"Go ahead. I don't care."

"Okay." Well, I _couldn't_ go to sleep knowing he had three hundred Gil's worth of tickets in his hands. I rubbed my eyes, still feeling sleepy. Zell climbed up on his desk and waved his arms in the air. "Hey, everybody! SHUT UP!" The noise died down in the room and everyone turned their attention to Zell.

"Get off the desk, you moron!" someone shouted. "You wanna break it?"

"There's going to be a Spring Festival. Who wants to go?" The class erupted in cheers. He waved his hands around to quiet them down. "Okay, okay. I've got thirty tickets. One per person, unless you buy one for somebody."

"We don't wanna buy them _now_. We've got a whole _month_!" another student yelled. 

"You all suck! Come on!" I was wide awake now. I was getting worried about Zell because these desks weren't build to support a teenage boy of his size. The class grew raucous again and began throwing paper balls at the zealous Zell. He took them in good nature and for _some reason_ started singing something:

"Five hundred men they were, they were

Round and round the fire.

Dancin' to that crazy tune

Five hundred men they were." 

The class burst into laughter and applause all at the same time. I didn't know whether to be embarrassed for him or to laugh with them. He grinned and did a little dance. This only made the class laugh harder. There was a knock at the door. Everyone rushed back to their seats and picked up the stray paper balls. They shushed each other and tried to look civilized. Zell was still standing on top of his desk, looking confused.

"Get down, stupid!" someone ordered. "You wanna get in trouble?" Zell stuck his tongue out at the student. 

"Come up here and make me!" Zell's my friend, but he can sometimes be so _stupid_. The door opened and in walked Irvine. He tipped his hat at me. My heart fluttered happily. The others in the class stared at him in dumb bewilderment. I could hear some of the girls swooning and giggling.

"Y'all better simmer down. The other classes can't hear their instructors."

"Yes, sir, Mr. President," said Zell sarcastically, giving him a mock salute. Irvine glanced up at him.

"Zell, get offa that desk right now."

"And what if I don't, smart guy?" he demanded, putting his hands on his hips defiantly. Irvine's lips twitched into a smile.

"Then I know a guy that'll be sleepin' on the floor tonight." Zell grumbled something and got down. Zell and Irvine are roommates, so Irvine's pretty good at getting Zell to do what he wants. Irvine flashed his wonderful smile at the whole class and turned to leave. I leapt out of my chair and ran over to him.

"Do you have to leave?" I whined.

"Well, ah, I guess not," he shrugged. I took him by the hand and brought him to my desk. Zell put his elbow on his desk and it immediately crashed to the floor. He coughed and fanned at the dust.

"Nice going, Zell," I giggled.

"Oops." Irvine sat at the empty desk on the other side of me. That desk was _always_ empty. I don't know _who_ was supposed to be sitting in it, 'cause the guy never came to class. I haven't a clue how such a bum got to be a SeeD. I put my hand on Irvine's shoulder.

"Irvine, would you like to buy a ticket from me?"

"Sure thing. How much?"

"Ten Gil each." I smiled sweetly and hugged his arm. His handsome face turned red.

"That's all? Well, I'll gladly buy a ticket. Here ya go." He handed me twenty Gil. I repressed my squeal of excitement.

"Two tickets for you then, Mr. Kinneas." I tore off two tickets and purposefully touched his hand as I gave them to him. "And who is the lucky lady?" His face grew more red until I could almost feel the heat radiating from it. He is so _cute_ sometimes!

"Uh… I'm not sure about that yet."

"Oh. Okay." I put on my brightest grin. "Tickets! I've got tickets for sale! Only ten Gil!" I knew Irvine was going to ask me. He just didn't want to say it in front of Zell and the others. 


	4. Three Weeks Left!

4: Three Weeks Left!

In a week I only got _one_ sale. And that was from Irvine! I'm glad that he bought tickets from me, but I'm a little disappointed that no one else wanted any. The others on the Garden committee had blocked off the ballroom so we could have it all to ourselves. We had some great planners on the committee and a great number were also good at decorating. While Nida and myself were busy begging people to buy tickets, others on the committee were getting furniture and other nick-knacks arranged. If I were better at decorating, I would gladly trade jobs, because selling tickets is so _boring_.

I went outside to make sure our posters outside the Garden gates were still up. Some jokers thought it funny to rip our posters off the school walls. Thankfully these idiots hadn't gotten to the ones outside yet. It was a beautiful day outside, anyway. Flowers bloomed in anticipation of spring. I picked one and put it in my hair. It was yellow, the same color as my favorite dress. I made a mental note to tell the decorating people to add some flowers to their plans. The sound of feet trampling on the dirt path averted my attention. I glanced down the road and saw three figures coming towards the Garden.

One of the persons was easily distinguished because he (a bit too manly-looking to be a female) was the most muscular. He had dark skin and dark hair in a box-cut. He wore black pants and a red vest. Black shoes carried his body down the road. My lips broke into a grin. I knew who this guy was. But… was it really him? And what was he doing here? Ah, who cares? I squealed and ran towards him, throwing my arms around his muscular body. It felt like I was hugging an oversized teddy bear.

"Raijin!"

"Hey, Selphie. Long time no see, ya know?" I giggled and beamed at him. His face was in a grin as well. His smile was childlike but not half as big as Zell's.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came back, ya know? The Garden's my home, ya know?" I was very excited to see him, and I honestly missed him, but I couldn't help but be drawn to his female traveling companion. If I didn't know better, I would've thought she was a ghost. She had pale skin and her hair was silver. Her right eye was covered by a black patch and she wore all blue, except for her black boots. Her lips were drawn into a straight line and her good eye showed little emotion. I put my arms around her thin frame. Her skin felt icy cold to the touch.

"Fujin!"

"SELPHIE. LONG TIME," the girl smiled. Her lips barely moved to make her smile; it was a smile for a shy person, not someone like her. 

"You're _both_ here?" I awed. They nodded, smiling their unique smiles. "Then that means…" My eyes fell on the third figure. His fair face had a scar, his lips as stern as his cold eyes. A single strand of blonde rested on his forehead, the rest of his hair slicked away. His cold blue eyes stared into my cheerful ones. He wore the same white overcoat he had on the last time I saw him. In fact, his whole ensemble was exactly the way it was a month ago. My whole body shivered. I pinched myself just to make sure this wasn't a dream. No, I was very much awake.

__

Seifer Almasy. That name often brought fear and anger into a person's heart. He was the self-proclaimed "sorceress knight", the one that had helped Ultimecia achieve her dominance. He had caused so much pain, so much suffering. He had been so mean to us, even when we were kids growing up in the orphanage together. There wasn't a single person in Balamb Garden that didn't have _some_ sort of grudge towards him. While he was in the Garden he bullied people and basically made everyone's life miserable. He was responsible for deaths, sorrow, and many more unspeakable acts. Many vowed they would kill him if they ever ran across him.

"Seifer!" I threw my arms around him and kissed his cheek. His body felt like a stone that had been warmed by the sun.

"Selphie? What the…?"

"I'm so glad to see you! It's been far too long!" I pulled away and was pleased to see I had stumped the man terribly. His two friends also looked perplexed.

"You're… glad to see me?"

"Sure, of course. It's good to see _all_ of you. Let's go inside!" I took Seifer by the arm and eagerly led him inside the gate. In true Seifer fashion, he tore away from my grip and glared at me as if I had given him a deadly disease.

"What in _hell_ do you think you're doing?" he hissed.

"Bringing you into the Garden!" I answered. 

"I don't think they'd be happy to see us, ya know? We haven't exactly been friendly, ya know?" noted Raijin uneasily. I winked at him.

"Don't worry about that. It'll all work out. Besides, you're sorry for it now, aren't you?" This question was followed by silence.

"MISTAKE. FORGIVENESS?" Fujin asked after a pause. It took me a while to figure out what she had said.

"Of _course_ I forgive you! As long as you feel sorry for what you did, I'll forgive you. I'll talk to the others; I'm sure they feel the same way." The posse stared at me in amazement. 

"Selphie, did you hit your head?" Seifer asked, tilting his head towards one shoulder. His face bore a confused expression that I had never seen before. I think he was trying to mimic me.

"Of course not, silly. What made you think that?"

"Well, you're being nice to us. In case you've forgotten, not many people would do that unless they hit their heads." He tilted his head towards the other shoulder. The imitation was so perfect I almost started laughing. "So, why are you being nice to us?"

"I just want to. Do I need a reason?" Seifer moved his head back to its proper position and shrugged his shoulders. 

"No. It's just hard to believe that you would forgive us so easily."

"Hey, it's me! What else do you expect?" The posse nodded in agreement. I've made pretty bad mistakes in my life, so I thought it only fair to give them the benefit of the doubt. It was my belief that everyone deserved a second chance in life, as long as they were sorry for what they had done in the past. I knew already that Fujin and Raijin were sorry; I could only hope that Seifer felt the same way. I giggled crazily and grabbed Seifer's arm again. He rolled his eyes but tolerated me. In this condition the four of us made our way into the Garden.

We entered the Garden and the posse glanced around quizzically. It went through slight changes since they were there last but nothing major. They were mostly interested in the Festival posters that were scattered all over. I allowed them to study the posters closely before leading them on. As I walked them to my "ticket booth", I let them take in everything in silence. I know that sounds out of character for me, but these guys were coming home after a month of absence. They _needed_ the time to themselves. We reached the center of the Garden and I was slightly surprised to find Nida missing from his post. I knew there was a good explanation so I didn't worry about it. And anyway, I was starting to wonder how people would react to the posse's presence.

"MISSED THIS PLACE," Fujin sighed.

"Me too, ya know?" Raijin agreed. I finally let go of Seifer and turned to the trio expectantly.

"So, what have you guys been up to since I saw you last?" There was a slight pause as the three friends exchanged unreadable glances.

"WANDERING," Fujin said at last.

"Trying to stay out of everyone's way," Seifer added.

"Oh, okay," I nodded, rocking on the balls of my feet. "What brings you here to Balamb?"

"I don't know. It's our home… I guess we came here without thinking," Seifer shrugged. Fujin nodded in agreement.

"Nostalgia, ya know?" Raijin grinned.

"Well, I'm glad you guys are here, anyway. We're going to have a Spring Festival in three weeks. You guys can come if you want." The posse seemed flabbergasted by this invitation. They looked so funny when they were confused.

"IMPOSSIBLE," said Fujin sadly. "MISTRUST." I frowned; she was right. Not many people would trust them, especially after all that mess with Ultimecia. _What am I going to do?_ I smiled in encouragement.

"If you guys show everyone that you're truly sorry and you've turned over a new leaf, they might accept you."

" '_Might_' being the key word," Seifer snorted. I chuckled and patted him on the arm. Seifer stared at my hand as if he wasn't quite sure what it was.

"Just let me take care of everything. All _you guys_ have to do is be nice," I said brightly.

"Easier said than done, ya know?" noted Raijin wryly. I had to agree with that. The three of them huddled near my station as I got ready for another round of attempting to sell tickets. Seifer stood slightly apart from the other two, like he had done thousands of times before. I spotted a customer coming our way but she took one look at my friends and ran screaming in the other direction, her arms flailing wildly above her head. The posse grimaced simultaneously.

"TOLD YOU," Fujin noted.

"That was just one person," I shrugged. The very next person to come by saw the trio and fainted. That person's friend took out their weapon and demanded a fight. I groaned; this wasn't starting out well.

"We don't wanna fight you, ya know?" said Raijin helplessly, holding up his hands in a sign of peace. 

"I don't believe it! You're here to finish us off!" the student shouted. His words had brought on quite a crowd, many of which wanted to take on the posse as well. I felt helpless. _The posse was right: no one wants them here… No one except for me._

"Get out of here! We don't want the likes of you in our Garden!" a voice shouted. Suddenly the posse was being bombarded by paper balls, hotdogs, shoes, and other miscellaneous objects. Everyone started shouting obscene phrases at the trio. I didn't know whether to cover my ears or my head. 

"I have a feeling they don't like us," Seifer growled, his hands covering his head. My blood was boiling. They had no right to treat the posse like that, no matter _what_ they did wrong!

"That is quite _enough_!" I shouted. The crowd stopped shouting and the projectiles ceased as well. I was a small girl but I felt like I was looming over the mob. "Why don't you all just _grow up_? I am well aware that these three haven't been perfect angels, but who here can claim that they have never done anything wrong in their lives? Nobody! They're really sorry for what they did and they came here hoping to find forgiveness. I think you all should give them a chance instead of lashing out at them like this." I paused, taking a deep breath. Everyone, including the posse, was staring at me with gaping mouths. When I spoke again, I tried to sound more gentle. "Show them some compassion, huh? That's what this Garden's all about."

One by one the crowd dissipated, muttering among themselves. I was tempted to kick one of them in the butt. Some more responsible people cleaned up the mess that was made. They muttered apologies to the posse; I could tell from their expressions they didn't really mean it. The posse stared at me in silent awe, none of them able to find their voices. Finally the last of the jerks were gone. Fujin straightened her jacket and Raijin straightened my desk, which had been jostled in the confusion. The four of us stood there in silence for a moment. Seifer cleared his throat.

"Thanks for sticking up for us."

"BRAVE," Fujin smiled.

"You're a true friend, ya know? I can't remember the last time anyone's done that for us," Raijin said. I blushed modestly.

"You're welcome." I sighed and took a seat behind my desk. I didn't expect to make any sales that day after I scared off all the customers, not like I would make a sale anyway. The posse huddled together and began whispering earnestly. I leaned closer, trying to listen in. They finished talking before I could catch what they were saying. 

"Selphie, we were wondering about this Festival thing," Seifer began. His two friends smiled at each other. I grinned broadly.

"The Spring Festival will take place in about three weeks. To go you have to buy a ticket, but they're only ten Gil." I was starting to sound like a recording.

"I'd like one, ya know?" Raijin requested. I squealed in delight and handed him the ticket. He slid ten Gil towards me. I thanked him about five hundred times. Fujin stepped up next.

"ONE," she said. She paid for her ticket and thanked me. They eyed Seifer significantly. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked up to my desk. He leaned in so close our noses were almost touching. Fujin winked at Raijin with her single eye. Seifer whispered something very softly. 

"What?" I frowned.

"I wa… t… tick…," he repeated.

"_What_?" He cringed and tried to speak a bit louder.

"I want two tickets," he hissed, still barely audible. I grinned mischievously and cupped a hand around my ear.

"Speak louder. I can't hear you." A vein bulged in his neck. Fujin and Raijin wisely took a step back.

"I said I want two tickets, dammit!" he shouted. His hand smacked his forehead, cursing himself for blurting that out. Fujin and Raijin pretended they hadn't heard it. My eyes were dancing with mirth.

"Oh? And who's the _other_ one for?" He shoved twenty Gil in my face.

"Never mind. Just hand 'em over." I obeyed, still grinning. I couldn't resist giving him another hug.

"Sorry about that," I whispered. I kissed his cheek again. "I missed you a whole lot. Welcome home." I pulled away and saw I had shocked him yet again. He grunted and joined his friends. Fujin poked him in the ribs, her eyes conveying a silent order. Whatever it was she wanted to do, Seifer refused to do it. It wouldn't have been polite to ask what they were up to, so I ignored their actions. "You three behave yourselves, now. I don't want to hear you getting into any trouble." Seifer shook his head and pocketed his tickets.

"NO WORRIES," Fujin assured me. 

"We'll behave, ya know?" Raijin added. I watched them leave. I was glad they were back. The Spring Festival was going to be more fun than I expected. 


	5. Decorations

5: Decorations

I should've known I couldn't leave the posse by themselves. Only a few minutes after they left my company Fujin came running. She told me that Seifer had been beaten up by some SeeDs and to "HELP. HURRY". She and I followed the trail the bullies had made (those jerks had knocked potted plants over) and found them giving poor Seifer a Swirly. Actually, they just had his whole head in the toilet and were flushing repeatedly. Because of this the area surrounding the bathroom, and the bathroom itself, was flooded. Raijin showed up and the three of us scared the bullies away. Seifer was all right and he said he had a "better understanding for how the little guy feels". I think the only thing that was seriously wounded was his pride. Seifer wouldn't say why those guys could beat him up; I guess he was embarrassed that he was a little rusty in fighting.

After that the three of them didn't seem to attract any trouble. That was good, because I was going to check on the Festival decorations with Nida. I didn't have the energy to run all over the Garden yelling at SeeDs. I made them promise that they wouldn't go anywhere by themselves, except when Fujin had to use the restroom, and then the two boys would stand guarding the entrance. Nida and I made our way to the ballroom. He wasn't acting unusual so I assumed he hadn't heard about the posse coming to Balamb yet. Either that or he didn't care.

The hallway leading to the ballroom was blocked off by red and yellow crepe paper. Nida and I stepped over the line and continued. The hallway itself was decorated with crepe paper in the shape of flowers and there were balloons hovering over our heads. Real flowers were on either side of the carpeted floor and as we drew closer we could hear music being played. Some blue crepe paper was on the floor, meaning to be a stream or something. Already I could tell the ballroom was going to look splendid. The door was decorated with flowers and yellow bows decorated the handles. Nida opened the door and I stepped inside.

The music was the first thing that caught my interest. It was a sprightly tune featuring the strings and woodwinds. The song reminded me of the time we put on a concert for Squall. Now _that_ was fun! I next noticed that plants were scattered about the ballroom. Beside the door was a pot of buttercups and I could see other colorful flowers dotted around the area. None were on the dance floor, of course. The fountain was encircled by green plants. Pictures of pastoral scenes hung on the walls. Many of them I could tell were drawn by committee members.

"Nida! Selphie!" I saw Marie coming towards us at a run. I welcomed her hug, then pushed her onto Nida. He smiled meekly and patted the girl on the back. She spread her arms as if to present the entire ballroom. "As you can see, we're not quite done."

"Not quite done?" I echoed.

"Yes. We still have to decorate all of the furniture, and the balcony. We have to make refreshments and… oh, there's just so much to do!" Marie exclaimed. _Maybe it's better I'm stuck selling tickets,_ I thought. _This sounds like hard work!_ "Today we're figuring out where to put the refreshment table. You guys can help."

"Oh, goody!" I cheered, clapping my hands. The table was currently positioned next to the fountain. Committee members stood in different areas of the ballroom, checking angles and that sort of weird stuff. I'm not a decorator but I tried my best anyway. I glanced around idly, not knowing exactly what I was looking for. My eyes landed on a vacant spot occupied only by a vase of daisies.

"I'm no good at this," complained Nida.

"Me neither," I shrugged. "But I think that might be a good place." Marie walked over to us.

"Did you find a place?" I pretended like I hadn't heard her.

"What do _you_ think, Nida?" He shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

"I wouldn't be the right person to ask." Marie sighed in exasperation.

"Selphie, did you find a place? Did you find a place for the table?" I smiled widely and winked at Nida.

"Did I find a place? Did I find…?" I repeated mockingly. "Yes, I found a place. It's right over there!" I pointed my finger proudly at the spot. Marie observed it for a moment, then nodded in approval.

"Yeah, that'll do." She waved her arms at the others. "Hey, guys! We got a nice spot right over here!" She turned to us. "Nida, will you help them move the table?"

"Certainly," he answered. He and three other guys lifted the table and slowly carried it over to the chosen spot. I was very impressed by Nida's strength. I had no idea he could carry a table. Marie and I coached them until they had it in exactly the right spot. I picked up the vase of daisies and set it on the table.

"Perfect!" Marie announced. That's one less thing to worry about, then.

"I'm really impressed, Marie," I commented. "It looks really great here." Marie blushed modestly.

"Thank you. We've been working hard." She smiled slyly. "We've got a whole lot more to do if you guys want to help. It would make the work go faster."

"Well, strange as it may sound, we still have not sold many tickets," sighed Nida wearily. I had sold six in all, which was six more than Nida sold. Apparently there were a bunch of lazy people in the Garden. _Maybe I'll forbid them to go,_ I thought. _Then they'd be sorry!_ As tempting as that was, I just couldn't do that to anybody; it wasn't in my nature. _Lucky for them, I guess._

"No one's had much luck," Marie noted, shrugging helplessly. The other committee members nodded sadly. "What if we don't have enough people coming?"

"Then we'll just have the party to ourselves!" I decided. "We're not going to let all this hard work go to waste, even if we're the only ones here to enjoy it!" The others on the committee stared at me dumbly for a moment. Nida was smiling at me. His smile was a lot like Fujin's, shy and uncertain. Only, the shy smile fitted Nida like a glove, and with Fujin it was the exact opposite of her personality. I smiled brightly. "Plus there'd be lots more snacks to go around!"

"I guess that would work," Jacob began, rubbing his chin in thought, "but then what about those we _have_ sold them to?"

"They can come!" I grinned. "We're going to have this Festival no matter what. There can be twenty people here or a hundred! We're still going to have a good time!" Everyone erupted in cheers. Like I said, this was going to be a great Festival. _The only thing that could make me happier is if Irvine asks me to the Festival._ I knew he would; I would just have to be patient. Oh, to be patient is so _hard_!

_____

Nida and I walked back to our posts, me humming the tune that was playing in the ballroom. I was happy to see Oonagh waiting for us, the only other person in the area other than us. She greeted Nida with a curtsey, as was proper for a lady. Nida bowed to her courteously. Oonagh's face was radiating with excitement. Nida took one look at her and knew that his presence wasn't wanted. He quietly went to his post and did his best not to listen in on our conversation. He's a nice guy that way. I eagerly joined Oonagh, knowing that her news would be worth hearing. But I first wanted to share my news. It was lucky for me that Oonagh was a nice person.

"I just saw the decorations, Oonagh!" I declared. "I don't want to spoil the surprise, but let me tell you: they're beautiful! This is going to be an awesome Festival!"

"_Speaking_ of the Festival!" she sang, her eyes shining. "I bet you can tell by how happy I am who asked me to go with him!" My jaw crashed through the floor.

"Are you serious? He asked you?" Her head bobbed up and down. "Oh, my _god_! That is _so_ awesome!" I hugged her. "I was about to ask you why you haven't bought a ticket!" We parted and held hands like any excited girls would do.

"He will be by after his next class lets out to buy the tickets. Oh, Selphie, I'm so excited!" 

"I know, I know! I'm excited for you!" We squealed in unison. Nida smiled fondly and shook his head. Oonagh glanced over at him and leaned in closer. I stopped giggling long enough to hear what she was going to say.

"Has Irvine asked you yet?" she whispered.

"No, but he bought two tickets. That's almost the same thing."

"_Just_ two tickets?" Her eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"Of course just two tickets!" She giggled and patted my arm soothingly.

"I was just kidding, Miss Petite. I have confidence that he'll ask you. You'll have to tell me every single thing he says when he does it, all right?"

"Of course! I'll write it down so I'll remember it forever!" She giggled again and waved good-bye. Nida smiled at her and she smiled back. You know, I am _so_ glad that Oonagh got over her weird crush on Zell. I think Instructor Oren suits her better, anyway. I mean, no offense to Zell, but he and Oonagh are complete opposites. Nida and I watched her leave.

"Are you ready to be ignored some more, Selphie?" asked Nida. He didn't raise his voice but I could hear him since we were the only two in the area.

"Sure am!" I replied cheerfully. This job may be boring, but at least I can have fun with it! 


	6. Friendly Faces

6: Friendly Faces

The posse managed to stay out of trouble for three days in a row. Word got around that I was friends with them, so everyone was nice to them. The trio still couldn't believe that I would be friends with them after all that they did. They're really nice people and I actually feel ashamed of myself for not getting to know them sooner. It's strange watching them, because they all seem to be on the same wavelength; it's like they can read each other's thoughts. I wish I had that kind of bond with a person.

I had fallen asleep at my post because no one was buying any tickets. Someone cleared their throat. I sat up and broke into a wide grin. Three very familiar faces were standing over me. A tall, thin woman stood closest to my desk. Her blonde hair was pulled up, two thick strands framing her serious face. Spectacles perched on her nose and she wore the uniform of an instructor. She had a very stern aura about her although I knew that she could relax and have fun once in a while. Clutched in her hands was a thick whip.

Standing behind her was a young woman with long hair the color of a starless sky. A lock of gold interrupted the midnight strands that flowed down her shoulders. She wore a blue dress and a black shirt underneath. She, unlike the lady in front of her, was smiling. One of her arms clung onto a male a head taller than she. His face was serious, a scar cruelly altering his appearance. He wore a leather jacket and black pants and looked every bit a dangerous person. His brown hair was in a mess as always and at his side was a sinister gunblade.

"Hiya!" I greeted, for I knew these three people very well. "Did you guys have fun?"

"I wouldn't call it fun, but we _were_ successful," Quistis answered. She had gotten her instructor license back after we defeated Ultimecia. She, Squall, and Rinoa had gone off on some SeeD job a few weeks ago and were just coming back. "How have you been?"

"Fine and dandy." I held up my role of tickets. "Do any of you guys want to buy a ticket from me? Only ten Gil!"

"Ticket?" Squall grunted. "For what?"

"If you would bother to read the posters, you would know they're for the Spring Festival!" I snapped. That sure surprised him; I'm usually very docile around him. I should really stop hanging out with Zell.

"Buy one, Squall," Rinoa insisted, tugging on his arm. "Please? It would be so much fun if we went." Squall muttered something under his breath. "Come on, Squall. I already know how badly you dance, so there's no reason for you to chicken out." Squall sighed wearily and handed me twenty Gil.

"I guess I'll take two," he said grumpily.

"Thank you, Squall!" I sang, handing him the tickets. "I'm sure you and Rinoa will have lots of fun!" He took the tickets without even thanking me. Rinoa needs to teach that guy some manners.

"Are you going with anyone, Selphie?" asked Rinoa politely.

"I've been too busy trying to get everyone else to go," I answered. That was my excuse, anyway. I couldn't understand why Irvine hadn't asked me yet. _Maybe Oonagh's right. Maybe he is shy of me, _I thought.

"I'm sure someone will ask you," Quistis smiled.

"Yeah, don't worry," Rinoa agreed. The girls glanced expectantly at Squall. He crossed his arms and remained silent. That was his way of agreeing with people. 

"By the way," Quistis continued, "do you think I should buy a ticket or wait until someone asks me?"

"Wait," I advised.

"Oh, all right. Thank you. I'd better go tell the headmaster we're here. I'll see you all later." She waved and made her way to the elevator. Suddenly a thought struck me.

"Hey, Quistis!" She turned back. "Can you and I talk later? In the 'secret place'?" She smiled and nodded. "Thanks a bunch. See you… around midnight, I guess." She waved and entered the elevator. The three of us watched her ascend to the third floor.

"Do you know if any of our friends are going with anyone?" Rinoa questioned.

"Well," I frowned, "so far Zell hasn't bought a ticket. Irvine's got two but he hasn't… I mean, I don't know who he's going with." I blushed; I had almost let it slip that I knew Irvine was going to ask me. Rinoa's eyes glimmered.

"Oh, well, I'm sure Irvine will ask out a nice girl. Don't you think, Squall?" She poked her boyfriend in the ribs. He made a grunting noise in his throat.

"Whatever."

"You say that entirely too much, Squall," I giggled. He rolled his eyes.

"Squall and I have to get going, but we'll see you around," Rinoa said. She winked at me. "Don't worry about finding a date. A certain _person_ will definitely ask you to go." I thanked her with a smile. She put her arm through Squall's arm and the two of them left for the dormitories.

"Behave!" I shouted after them. They both pretended not to hear.

_____

It was only a few hours later that Zell visited me at my "prison". I was in high spirits after visiting with my friends and had managed to get somebody to buy a ticket. Nida was still being ignored by everyone but he didn't seem to mind at all. Zell was kind enough to wave at him. The cheerful guy flashed his toothy grin at me and grabbed the tickets off the desk.

"How many do you have now?" he asked.

"Uh…" I counted on my fingers. "I sold eleven, so… nineteen, I think." Zell whistled in amazement.

"Only eleven people want to come to your Festival?"

"Yep, 'fraid so."

"Damn. Tough luck." He put the tickets back on the desk. He glanced around nervously and scratched the back of his neck. "So, ah… are you, ah… going with anyone yet?"

"No one's asked me." For some reason, this cheered him up.

"Oh. Well, I could take you. That is, if you wanna go with me." He grinned and studied his shoes. My mind felt completely blank. Why was Zell asking me to the Festival? Did he actually want to go with me, or did he just have no one else to ask?

"I don't know, Zell. I was actually waiting for someone else to ask me."

"Oh." His whole face turned bright red. "That's okay. I understand." I felt really bad about crushing him like that. I tried to think of a way to make it up to him.

"Zell, I'm really sorry."

"No, it's okay." I could tell from his fake smile that it wasn't. 

"I want to make it up to you. Tell you what: if I still don't have a date three days before the Festival, I'll go with you." He grinned until I could see every single one of his teeth.

"Really?"

"Sure. Plus, I'll reserve a dance for you no matter what. Deal?"

"Deal!" We shook hands. He waved and walked off, whistling a cheerful tune. He can be so weird sometimes.

_____

At the end of the day I hadn't gotten any more sales. Only _eleven_ tickets were sold in _two weeks_. Nida had finally gotten some sales from Headmaster Cid and his wife Edea. If things didn't start looking up, it would be a very small party. It's not like the others hadn't been trying to sell tickets. Students in the Garden are just lazy bums that will probably wait until the last minute to get their tickets. 

"Selphie?"

"Yes, Nida?"

"I am weary." The young man sat down and rubbed his temples. I sat next to him and put my arms around him.

"How come?"

"Because none of the girls I asked to go with me gave me a positive response. I fear I may be going to the Festival by myself."

"You won't be by yourself, silly," I smiled, tapping his nose with my finger. "Everyone on the Garden committee will be there."

"I meant I won't have a date."

"Oh." My brow furrowed in thought. "Well, you and I are going to have a dance anyway. That's sort of the same thing." He shook his head sadly. "Okay, okay. I'll fix something up. Just don't get your hopes down." He smiled at me.

"Selphie, you are one of a kind."

"I know."

_____

BEEP! BEEP!

This time I didn't ignore the alarm. I turned it off and glanced over at Oonagh to make sure it hadn't awoken her. She was a fairly deep sleeper and wasn't easily roused. I quietly slipped out of bed, pulled on some clothes, and tiptoed to the training center. Night lights were on for those people that liked to train in the privacy of night. I ran across a few monsters but I easily took care of them and continued on to the "secret place".

The "secret place" wasn't a well-named area, since everyone in the school knew about it. Insomniacs wandered about, laughing and carrying on. I spotted Quistis and the two of us found a secluded area where we could talk without being interrupted. Quistis was wearing her old pink dress and her hair was down. She looked very pretty with her hair down and I wondered why she didn't have it that way more often.

"You wished to speak to me?" she asked. I had, but I couldn't think of my reason. What was it I wanted to talk to her about? _Oh, yeah._

"I'm having Irvine troubles."

"Oh, I see." She rolled her eyes. "I can't imagine what you see in him."

"_Everything_," I sighed, clasping my hands together. She shook her head and tried not to look amused. "I know he likes me; it's so obvious by how he looks at me and how he treats me. I just can't understand why he doesn't come out and say it. I mean, he doesn't seem to have any problems telling _other_ girls he likes them."

"Irvine is a flirt; we all know that. I think he's afraid of being rejected if he reveals his true feelings. Why else would he flutter about making passes at every girl he meets?" Quistis adjusted the spectacles on her nose. "It's fairly obvious that he cares about you. He just doesn't think he'll be able to express his feelings in the right way. That's my observation, anyway." I stared at her in silent awe.

"Did you study human behavior or something?" She smiled and blushed slightly.

"No. I just form opinions based on what I see."

"You're not the first one to tell me that Irvine's afraid of me, you know. My friend Oonagh also thinks he's scared of me," I noted.

"Not scared so much as wary," Quistis corrected me. "Let him take his time. He'll ask you when he's ready." I smiled and felt a little better. A light bulb went on in my head. I grinned mischievously.

"There's just one more thing, Quisty."

"What's that?" She ignored the old pet name in true Quistis fashion.

"Will you please consider going with Nida to the Spring Festival?" Quistis blinked in confusion, her cheeks turning slightly red.

"Nida?"

"Yeah, Nida. Nida Jones. _You_ know! He's the guy that piloted the Garden. No one else will go with him."

"Well, I don't know…" She pretended to be interested in her hands.

"At least give it some thought. Please?" I pouted as cutely as I could.

"All right, all right. I'll go with him if he asks me. How's that?" I grinned and gave her a big hug.

"Thank you!" I sang. 

"Anything else you want to talk about?"

"Not at the moment. It's time for us ladies to go to bed." She agreed and we exited the "secret place". The training room was still lighted. _I wonder if Irvine ever comes here at night to train?_ I thought. We bade each other good-night and went to our separate rooms. I reset my alarm and changed into my night clothes. Things were turning out so well. Nida would have a date for the Festival and I was going to be with Irvine. The only thing that could make this any better would be if I sold more tickets! But that was asking too much.

I climbed into bed. The sheets felt a little cold but I knew in a moment my body would warm them up. _I'm going to the Festival with Irvine! _my brain sang. _And Nida's going with Quistis! Irvine and Selphie, Irvine and Selphie._ I smiled and began to drift into deep sleep. _I'm going to the Festival with Irvine! I'm going to the Festival with Irvine! I'm going…_

Author's note: I'm so glad people are enjoying this so far! Sorry if I messed up on Squall's hair color. Anyway, please be patient with Irvine. I'm stalling for a reason, ya know? It's called suspense! Thank you for reviewing and please enjoy the upcoming chapters! 


	7. Lonely

7: Lonely

Nida and I were recruited by Marie to help in the decorations. It was her belief that if we weren't doing any good selling tickets, at the least we should help out in other areas. I got to decorate furniture while Nida helped the guys move it. Needless to say, I got the better end of the deal. Poor Nida! He didn't seem to mind, though. It was almost like he was _enjoying_ all the work he was doing. I guess he's used to doing the dirty work that no one else wants to do. I had fun too; I used crepe paper like crazy. Marie scolded me on more than one occasion to not be wasteful. I guess I got too carried away.

I sat on a little couch knitting a quilt to put on it. I know, it sounds so weird for me to knit. It's actually pretty fun. I learned how to knit back in Trabia Garden. One of my instructors thought it would make me more ladylike if I knew how to knit. She started me by teaching me how to knit socks, and ever since then I was hooked, no pun intended. Knitting is one of the few things I'm really good at. The best part is that I enjoy knitting, so that makes it even more fun to do.

Once I was done with the quilt, I began polishing things. A lot of the furniture we were using was fairly old, so it needed a little work to make it look good. I polished the legs of the couch I had been sitting on first. Then I moved on and polished vases, the punch bowl, more furniture, the fountain, and anything else that needed it. All that polishing made my arms ache. I sat down on the ground and took a break. This was going to be the best Festival ever; I could just feel it.

Several committee members were scrubbing the dance floor. I got to my feet and went over to help them out. I got down on my hands and knees, took a scrub brush, and started scrubbing. I could see lots of streak marks where shoes had skidded on the floor. I put my whole body into the chore and for the moment it was all I could think about. _Scrub, scrub, scrub,_ I thought. _Scrub, scrub, scrub._ The sound of ten scrub brushes going back and forth on the floor filled my brain. It was like music, a rhythmic beat that changed ever so slightly when someone slowed their pace or sped up. The music flowed through everyone that was on that floor scrubbing and slowly the rhythm became more organized and uniform.

Someone had turned off the recorded music; the only sounds we could hear now was the music of the scrub brushes. Those that had been moving furniture stopped their activity and listened. For about three minutes the scrub brushes dominated the room. I wanted to burst out into song but I didn't dare disrupt the uniformity we had created. I could hear the other committee members walking onto the dance floor. Their feet made a harmonic rhythm to counter the melody we had started with the scrub brushes. Shoes tapped on the wooden floor and soon they too created a rhythm. I had never felt so close to anyone on the committee as I did in that moment. I was moved to tears.

Our scrub brush concert ended all too soon. As the last brush finished its work, I felt like I was being torn away from my friends. Jacob washed off the suds and everyone went back to work. It was almost like that unity we shared was forgotten. I felt like I was going to cry again, but this time it was because I felt alone. It was the strangest thing; I had been alone before, but it never bothered me. This time, solitude loomed over me like a threatening monster. Something about complete loneliness scared me, something I couldn't quite place. _Irvine!_ I cried silently. _Irvine, I need you._ Hot tears traveled down my face. Even as I knew it was silly of me to feel so isolated, that very feeling crept up on me and entered my heart. I didn't like the feeling at all. It scared me, although I had no idea why. It was getting hard for me to breathe. I thought about Irvine and I felt a little better. I needed to see him. I needed to get out of there. 

I stood up and a wave of dizziness passed over me. I ignored it and tottered out of the room. I could hear Nida calling my name but I made no response. Staggering around like a drunk, I began to walk subconsciously. My feet had a mind of their own; I certainly didn't know where I was going. On and on I plodded. Faces appeared in my hazed vision but I continued on without giving them much attention. I felt like I was in a fog, trying to find sunlight in an otherwise dark world. When I took in a breath it was like a cloth was over my mouth. My brain managed to wake itself up to ask a question: _where am I going?_ But my feet refused to tell. I just kept walking and trusted I would end up somewhere.

I don't know how long I kept up this persistent march. At last a beam of light broke through the fog. Joy blew the rest of it away and I ran towards the source. I threw my arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. Now that I could think clearly again I could take in my surroundings. We were standing in the hallway leading to the training room. He was alone and I had nearly knocked his hat off his head. He smiled at me and nodded his head in greeting, since I currently had his arms pinned to his side. Just being with him made me feel like my old self again. _What was going on with me?_ I wondered. I usually didn't act that way. _Maybe it has something to do with my past…_ Well, it didn't matter. It was over, anyway, and I was with him.

"Hey, Selphie!" Irvine greeted. "Are you okay?"

"Now I am," I answered. I buried my head in his chest and took a deep breath. I could breathe freely again. _What a relief._ I hadn't noticed before, but Irvine smelled like pine trees. It made me wonder if any of my other friends had a unique scent. His fingers gently stroked my hair. I felt his strong heart beat up against my cheek. His chest moved up and down slightly as he breathed. My cheek was beginning to feel hot from the warmth of his body. I could feel creases in his leather overcoat, individual fibers of his shirt, and his calloused fingers as they caressed my hair. Then something very strange happened: I could feel how much he loved me. It was an overwhelming emotion that enveloped my entire body.

"Selphie?" His chest vibrated as he spoke my name. I reluctantly pulled my head away so I could look into his eyes. His beautiful hazel eyes gazed down at me. I could see my face in them. My eyes were still a little red from crying but I was smiling. His hand continued to make its journey up and down the back of my head. "There's… something I wanna ask you." I didn't care what the question was. I just enjoyed being close to him. He didn't say anything right away. He just stared at me for a while, his lips in a smile. His eyes parted from mine and noticed something that was behind me. "What in hell are _they_ doin' here?" Slightly confused, I released my hold on him and turned around.

Seifer, Fujin, and Raijin were coming our way. A gang of curious SeeDs were following them. They weren't making any trouble; they were just following, more curious about the trio than angry. Raijin noticed me first and acknowledged me with a hearty wave. The other two merely nodded their heads. Irvine's hand scooted me away from his body and he drew out his gun. There was a cold determination in his eyes that told me what he was planning to do. I shook my head sternly, trying to convey without words that he had no need to fear these people.

"Hey, Selphie!" greeted Raijin loudly, his voice echoing in the quiet hall. The flock of SeeDs that had been tailing the posse turned their gaze towards me. The gun rattled in Irvine's hand. Fujin was the first to notice he had his weapon drawn. Her pale face turned more pale and her whole body stiffened. She motioned to the gun with her hands. The other two members of the posse froze in their tracks. The safety on Irvine's gun clicked off. _Oh, no._

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't blow the three of you away," he said coldly. The posse stood silent as three towers.

"Because they're my friends," I answered. I was surprised by how calm I sounded in this very dangerous situation. He glanced at me quizzically. I could tell from his face that he wasn't angry, merely wary. "They don't have any weapons on them. They haven't done anything wrong since they got here. You pick the reason you like best." A sigh emanated from him and he clicked the safety back on his weapon. He twirled the gun in the air and put it back in its holster.

"Just to let y'all know, I'm not angry with any of ya. I was just a little uneasy seein' the three of you here. As long as y'all don't get into too much trouble, I think we can get along." He tipped his hat at them. They looked almost as surprised as when I was nice to them on their first day back.

"GRATEFUL," Fujin said. 

"You're pretty nice, ya know?" Raijin smiled. Irvine looked embarrassed by their words. "Just like Selphie." It was my turn to be embarrassed.

"Y'all can come to me if any of you got a problem. Stalkers, maniacs, that kinda thing," Irvine added. "The three of you are bound to attract trouble, even if you don't start it." Seifer smiled a little. His smile made him look friendly and was a welcome sight to see. It was like a beam of light in a dark alley.

"Thank you; both of you. That's very kind of you."

"You treat us like friends. That's never happened to us before, ya know?" Raijin noted. "It's nice to have friends, ya know? I'm glad that you two are nice people."

"TOO KIND," Fujin agreed. "REPAY SOON."

"Well, thanks. I'm glad to know that we help out," I smiled. The three of them thanked us again and went on their way. We watched them go, their little gaggle of SeeDs following closely. "Hey, you guys!" I shouted. The SeeDs stopped in their tracks. "Any of you bother them, and you'll be sorry!"

"Yes, ma'am!" they chirped in unison. They ran off in opposite directions. 

"You are _amazing_!" Irvine declared once we were alone. I blushed slightly. "No kiddin'. Only _you_ would manage to make friends with the posse like that. They don't seem like bad people, I guess. All that mess with the sorceress must've taught 'em some things." He put his arm around my waist. 

"That was nice of you, offering to help them out and stuff. Not many people in the Garden would do that," I smiled. He smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"Everybody deserves a second chance. It's about time we stop thinkin' about past wrongs and move on with life."

"I agree." Standing there with his warm arm holding me at the waist, I couldn't even remember the crushing loneliness I had felt not half an hour ago. It was merely being in Irvine's presence that made me feel so happy. _I wonder if the posse ever gets lonely? _I thought. _All they have is each other. No one else wants to be friends with them after what they've done. Except for me._ "Irvine, I think you and I did a great thing today."

"Oh? What's that?"

"We made the posse feel less lonely." I saw his head go up and down in a nod. His brown ponytail moved in a ripple effect. 

"Yep, we sure did. Feels good, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. It really does." 

_____

It was only later that I remembered Irvine had something to ask me. _Stupid! He was probably going to ask you to the dance! _Well, I could wait a little longer for that one. I was a little busy trying to figure out what had gotten into me earlier. I had been by myself thousands of times before and it's never bothered me. Something, perhaps from a long-forgotten memory, made me very scared in that moment. What was it? And why did it surface at that exact moment? 


	8. Two Weeks Left!

8: Two Weeks Left!

I've had a busy two weeks! Nida and I helped out the decorating group a lot since nobody seemed interested in buying tickets. I had a few more sales but still not very many. I could predict that everyone in the Garden who hadn't bought a ticket would get one in the last week. They're such slackers. I tried all sorts of tricks to get people to buy tickets. I think the only thing I _haven't _tried yet is a striptease. And I wouldn't do that even if I was paid a million Gil!

Irvine never asked me the question he was going to ask me. He was probably going to ask me to the dance. Why he didn't come up and ask me later, I don't know. He just didn't. I know that he hasn't asked anyone else yet, though. I still have a chance! Yay! The only problem I see is that I'll go crazy when he finally _does_ ask me. I'm going to have to learn to calm down a little bit…. Ah, who am I kidding? Calming down is something I simply cannot do, no matter how badly I want to. At least I'm honest with myself, tee-hee.

It was two weeks before the dance was to take place. Nida and I were hanging out in our "prisons". It got pretty boring sitting there being ignored all the time, so he and I invented games to play. My favorite one was "What am I thinking?" which he always won. In that game we would guess what the other person was thinking. Nida's answers for me were either "I'm bored" or "Irvine! Irvine! Irvine!" and he'd be right. It was a lot harder guessing what he was thinking. I only got it right once: "This is boring". I was a little surprised that Nida could get bored, but I guess some things can make _anybody_ bored. Especially when no one was buying tickets! Bums! Another one we played was "I spy" where we tell the other person a color or shape we see and they try and guess what it is. If we had to sit there and be ignored, at least we could keep ourselves occupied.

"Nida, are you bored?" I called.

"Extremely."

"Okay. What do you want to play?" There was a slight pause. "I'm not going to do _that_!"

"I wasn't thinking that!" he denied.

"_Sure_ you weren't," I giggled; I always joked around with him like that. You see, I told him that the only thing I hadn't done to sell tickets is a striptease. He said "Now _that_ would be interesting" and ever since then I teased him about it. 

"I thought of a new game," he declared. " 'Guess What'."

" 'Guess What'?" I repeated.

"Where we have something very exciting to tell the other person, but they have to guess what it is," he explained. 

"Ooh, what fun!" I cried, clapping my hands in delight. "Can I go first?" He nodded and waved his hand for me to proceed. I drummed my fingers together. "Okay, let's see… your exciting news has to do with you, of course."

"Of course," he nodded. "But that's fairly obvious."

"Hmm…. did you sell any tickets?"

"No, but you're sort of close."

"Did someone else sell tickets?"

"I suppose the purchase of tickets _was_ involved, but that's still not it." My eyes lit up; I knew what it was.

"You got a date for the Festival!"

"Very good!" I squealed and ran over to him to give him a hug. He chuckled in embarrassment and gave me an awkward hug in return.

"Oh, that's so great!" I giggled and hugged him again before returning to my seat. "That _is_ exciting! Wow! Way to go!"

"For a bonus point, guess who I'm going _with_." I frowned and listed possible females in my head. 

"Fujin?"

"No. I asked her, but she declined."

"Xu?"

"She also declined."

"Doctor Kadowaki?"

"Now you really _are_ just guessing!" scolded Nida with a chuckle. I smiled playfully. Unfortunately I didn't know very many girls in the Garden. I would've known if it was someone on the committee, so it wasn't one of them. I tried one last person I knew.

"Quistis?" Nida didn't say anything. "Are you going with Quistis?" I glanced over at him and saw he was blushing. "You _are_, aren't you?" He smiled and nodded meekly. I couldn't help it; I had to give him another hug. "That's so cool! Good for you!"

"I never expected her to accept. I was so happy I almost hugged her." I decided not to tell him that I had a hand in Quistis accepting him.

"That's great. I'm very happy for you. Now it's your turn!" He smiled and studied me for a moment. He snapped his fingers when he got the answer.

"You shared an intimate moment with Irvine."

"Man, you're _good_!" I awed. He didn't look surprised that he was right. "How'd you do that so fast?" 

"Knowing you, it was the only logical guess," he shrugged.

"Well, you're right. He almost asked me to the dance, too! I just _knew_ he was going to, but I think he got cold feet at the last minute." I sighed and made a cute pout.

"Pity. That would've been my next guess." I giggled. "That was my choice. You choose what we play now." I thought a while.

"Okay! 'I spy'. I went first last time, so you go!" There was a pause as he glanced around the area.

"I spy with my eye something that is red."

"Crepe paper!" I shouted, throwing my arms up in the air.

"No."

"Oh." I lowered my arms meekly. I glanced around for something else that was red. "The carpet!"

"That would be too easy."

"True. Let's see…" I tried to look around for other things that were red. I turned around in my chair. "Flowers?"

"I'll give you that one. Your turn." I cheered and tried to find something that would be hard to guess. I could hear the unmistakable sound of Zell's boots hitting the floor. I couldn't see him yet, but Nida didn't need to know that.

"I spy with my eye something that is black."

"The ink on our tickets." I shook my head, my hair waving from side to side.

"Nope!"

"Our boots?"

"Nope!"

"Our uniforms?"

"Nope!"

"Zell's jacket?"

"Huh?" I turned around and there was Zell. He waved at me. "Oh… Yeah, that's right."

"Whatcha doin'?" Zell asked.

"Eating up time," I answered. "We haven't been selling anything, so we keep ourselves occupied by playing games."

"Oh. Well, when you guys _do_ start selling tickets, would you save two for me? At least until I know if I have a date." I had almost forgotten I promised to go with Zell if I wasn't asked by anyone else three days before the Festival. _Should I tell him about my plans to go with Irvine? Hmm…_ I let the dilemma drop for the moment. _I'll think about it later,_ I reasoned.

"Sure thing," nodded Nida. 

"Hey, Zell! You wanna play 'I spy'?" I wondered. Zell grinned broadly.

"I love that game! I guess I get to go now, right?" Nida and I nodded. He glanced around. "Okay. I spy with my eye something that is… _SEIFER_?!" I nearly jumped out of my chair. There was the posse again. This time they could tell they were _definitely_ not wanted. They tried to make a run for it but Zell jetted after them.

"I suppose we should make sure he doesn't get hurt," sighed Nida. I agreed and we ran after the zealous fighter. The posse had gone into the garage with Zell not far behind. Nida and I stopped to catch our breaths then tried to find them. I heard Zell yelling out something and followed the sound of his voice. The four of them were standing in a vacant section of the garage. Seifer was standing apart from the other two, cool as an iceberg. Standing before him was Zell; the guy's face was red from yelling and his clenched fists were ready to punch something, or somebody.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DARED SHOW YOUR FACE HERE!" Zell was shouting. I sighed in exasperation. He took a deep breath and noticed Nida and I. "Selphie, did you know they were here?" He indicated the posse with the wave of his hand. His voice sounded a little hoarse.

"Uh, yeah. I was the one that brought them in," I answered. His face was grim, something I had never seen before. It made me uneasy. "Zell, they've been here for a _week_. I'm surprised you haven't met up with them before this."

"We've been keepin' a low profile, ya know? We're tryin' not to stir up any trouble, ya know?" Raijin noted. 

"Yeah?" Zell sneered. "Well, why don't you go back where you came from? We don't want the likes of _you_ here… ya know?" He spat out Raijin's frequently-used phrase bitterly. Zell's whole body was quivering in rage. I didn't dare go near him. Instead I approached the posse. This didn't make Zell happy either. He stomped his foot on the ground. "Selphie, you stay away from them! They don't deserve your kindness after what they've done!"

"You can't tell me what to do!" I retorted. And to prove it, I got closer to the posse and stood next to Fujin. 

"Zell, you are out of line," said Nida calmly. "These three have repented of their past wrongs. Can't you forgive them and move on?" Zell gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tighter.

"For_give_ them? How can you even _suggest_ it? I hate them! I hate all of them!" Nida and I were taken aback by this outburst. _Zell, why are you acting this way?_ The posse kept their ground and barely moved except to breathe. They acted like they went through this sort of thing all the time.

"STUBBORN," Fujin sighed. "THICK-HEADED." I finally gathered enough courage to go over to him. I rested my hand on his arm. He calmed down the slightest bit and relaxed his fists a little.

"It's not worth it, Zell. Let it go."

"Let it _go_? No way!" I squeezed his arm gently. He was still angry but it wasn't as intense as before. "I gotta go. I'll see you later." He sighed and trudged out of the garage, shoving his hands in his pockets. We all watched him, slightly perplexed by his uncharacteristic actions.

"I was wrong," Seifer noted after a long pause. "Zell's not a chicken-wuss; he's an ass-hole."

"DANGEROUS," Fujin stated.

"I'll talk to him," I assured them. "He's not like this all the time."

"Just around me," said Seifer bitterly.

"GRUDGE," Fujin observed. Seifer nodded in agreement.

"Don't any of you worry. Nida and I are good at fixing these sort of problems. We'll get Zell to understand."

"That means a lot to us, ya know?" Raijin smiled.

"Yeah, it's nice of you," Seifer agreed. "But I'm starting to question whether we should go to your Festival. Maybe it'd be better for everyone if we _didn't_ go." My face fell.

"You can't be serious! _Please_?" Raijin shook his head sadly. 

"I'd like to go, but not many other people would like us there, ya know?" I knew they had a point, but I really wanted them to come.

"Okay, how about this: if you guys come, I'll dance with you as many times as you want! Or… _something_! Please? It would mean a lot to me if you guys came!" The posse sighed wearily. It was hard to say "no" to me and they knew it. Fujin ruffled my hair. Her single eye shined.

"Thank you for caring," she whispered. I had heard her speak in this quieter voice once before. When I heard her use it again, I felt special. She hardly ever used that voice unless she was around her intimate friends; people she could trust. The knowledge that she trusted _me_ was overwhelming.

"So will you guys come?" I asked hopefully.

"Of course we will!" Raijin nodded. "We kind of owe you for being so nice to us, ya know?" I couldn't ask for better friends. Now if only Irvine will ask me to the dance! Then everything would be just right!

_____

I went over to the training room to relieve some tension. Zell's outburst still egged me. I just couldn't believe he blew up like that. I knew he didn't like the posse very much, but I never knew he bore so much anger towards them. What was wrong with him, anyway? What was it about the posse that made it hard for him to forgive them? Maybe Fujin was right; maybe Zell still held a grudge. But… that was so long ago. I hoped that he would get used to their presence and maybe, just maybe, he would be able to forgive them.

"Whoa!" The very guy I had been thinking about skidded into view. His black jacket was no longer on his body and his shirt was torn.

"Zell? What in the world?"

"No time!" he gasped. "Run for it!" I didn't ask questions; I simply followed his advice. I could hear a roar behind us and knew that a T-Rexaur was chasing us. We took cover in a cave and waited until the dinosaur passed us by. Zell breathed a sigh of relief. I saw that blood was soaking his shirt. He didn't seem to notice this. "That was close. You almost got hurt!"

"Speak for yourself," I chided, pointing to his scars. He glanced down at them idly with an almost childlike curiosity.

"Oh, what do you know? He got me." He didn't sound angry any longer. I guess he took out all his aggression on the monsters. He poked his head out and looked around for the T-Rexaur. "I think he's gone." He took a step out but I pulled him back in.

"You're not going anywhere. We have to talk." He sighed and plopped down on the ground. "Zell, you weren't acting like yourself today. It wasn't something I expected from you."

"I only acted that way 'cause of the damn posse," he snapped, anger again flashing in his eyes. "What the hell are they doing here, anyway? What the hell were you _thinking_ bringing them here?" He clenched his fists and glared at me dangerously. I shushed him and tried calming him down. He pushed my hand away. "Don't shush me! I swear to Hyne I'll beat the shit out of every one of them!" I felt like slapping him, and I almost did.

"Zell Dincht! I'm surprised at you!" I cried. "You have more sense than that! Stop acting like a little boy and grow up!" He cringed at my strong words. I closed my eyes and continued, this time with a calmer tone. "What I want to know is why you can't forgive the posse. Be honest, now."

"It's obvious, isn't it? After all they've done, all the destruction they caused, you expect me to forgive them? Not on your life!" I gasped and backed away from him. His face was so contorted in anger that he didn't look like himself anymore. I had never seen Zell act like this, not even in previous encounters with the posse. What was different? He seemed to realize he was getting out of line. His eyes widened and I could see the Zell I knew again. "Selphie, I'm sorry. I guess I've been acting stupid again. It just makes me mad, what they did."

"You scare me sometimes, Zell," I whispered. "I just wish you could let go of this anger and be friends with the posse." This time my mentioning of the posse didn't trigger a surge of anger. He scratched the back of his neck.

"I guess I could give it a shot, but it won't be easy for me to smile at them and be friendly." I thanked him. Then he did something out of character again: he wrapped me in his strong arms and held me. His arms were strong enough to break me but he held me as if I was a priceless china doll. If my nose wasn't pressed to his chest, I wouldn't have known he was holding me at all. "Sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to yell at you. And I guess I overreacted with the posse. Forgive me?" I nodded. _Of course. You're talking to the girl that forgave the posse, remember?_ I could smell his blood and I had to pull away.

"Zell, you need to see Dr. Kadowaki about those scars." I tilted my head to one side. "Zell, will you answer something for me?" That brilliant smile of his spread across his face. Just a second ago he was fuming, and now he was being his usual zealous self. I don't think I'll ever be able to figure him out.

"Sure thing."

"Why were you acting so weird today? I've never seen you so angry before." Zell shrugged and tried to act casual.

"Pissed off." He muttered something else under his breath.

"What?"

"Said I was pissed off."

"Well, it wasn't very nice."

"Sorry." I could tell that he really meant it. 

"Don't let it happen again," I warned, imitating Quistis. He chuckled. Zell is so strange. One minute he can be angrier than a bull, and the next minute he can be cheerful. I guess it all depends on who he's with.

"I'll do my best to be nice, but it's gonna be kind of strange being friendly to those guys after what they've done."

"Well," I said, "everyone _else_ seems okay with it." He nodded and stuck his hands in his pockets. We stood there in silence for a moment. He began chuckling softly to himself, then threw his head back burst into loud laughter. "What's so funny?" I demanded.

"Nothin'," he answered, still laughing. "I was just thinkin' of what Seifer and Raijin would look like in a tux." I tried to imagine it and soon I was joining him in laughter. 

"Zell, you are too much sometimes." 

_____

I took a seat by myself in the cafeteria. It was dinnertime but I wasn't very hungry. So many questions were turning over in my head. What had gotten into Zell? Was he really going to be nice to the posse? When was Irvine going to ask me to the Festival? How come nobody was buying tickets? I sighed wearily and tried not to think about it too much. There's only so much a girl can handle before it becomes too much. I buried my head in my arms. The cold table felt good on my forehead. I could've fallen asleep, but someone's feet walking across the floor aroused me. I tried to identify the person without looking up. _Sounds like boots, a fairly casual stride…_

"You all right, dahlin'?" I brought my head up and smiled at Irvine. I was dying to give him a hug. 

"Just a lot on my mind," I answered. He pointed to an empty chair.

"Mind if I take a seat?"

"No," I shrugged, trying to sound casual. He slid a chair out and sank down. He was polite enough not to put his feet up on the table.

"You want anything to eat? I could get you somethin'," he offered.

"No, thank you, I'm not very hungry. What I _would_ like is for someone to talk to." He smiled and pushed his hat up slightly.

"Well, then, I guess I sat in the right seat today." _You sure did,_ I agreed silently. _Thank you._ I cupped my face in my hands and glanced over at him.

"Zell puzzles me. He went ballistic today when he saw the posse, worse than you acted when you saw them. I just don't know what was wrong with him. He was even mean to _me_! He scared me, and that's never happened before." Irvine listened politely. "Seifer, Fujin, and Raijin are my friends now. Don't you feel that way?"

"Sure," he nodded. "We get along just fine. I feel kinda bad about bein' mean to them in the past."

"So do I," I agreed. "They're not as bad as we thought, but we're getting off the subject. Zell was completely irrational. He wasn't himself at all. I've never seen him as angry as he was then. It was like he was a totally different person. And went I went off on him, he was okay. He went back to being regular Zell. It was so weird; he was pissed off one minute and laughing his head off the next." Irvine took off his hat and brushed back his hair. He flipped the hat back on.

"You say he was angry? More so than usual?" I nodded. "Then I guess me and the little hothead are gonna have a little talk later on." _I knew I could count on you._ He paused and eyed me curiously. "He didn't call you anything bad, did he?"

"No. He just yelled at me."

"Good. I'd give him what for if he said a single thing to you that wasn't right." He blushed at his confession. My face glowed.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really." I beamed at him. Irvine cleared his throat and scooted his chair closer to mine. "Selphie?"

"Yes?" There was a pause as our eyes met. 

"Uh…" There was another long pause. He smiled and shook his head. "Never mind." My heart sank. _He was going to ask me._ He got up and tipped his hat. "I guess I'll see ya around." My heart sank lower. 

"Okay." After all that had happened to me, I felt like I was going to burst into tears. 


	9. Something Unexpected

9: Something Unexpected

I was still feeling a little down, but Zell cheered me up a great deal. Whenever he came by our little "jail cells", he would stand on his head and do a somersault. I even caught him trying to be friendly with the posse. It just goes to show you that anyone can be friends if you make the effort to try. Take Zell and the posse, for example. He can actually get along with them! Uh… sort of. Well, anyway! Zell also entertained Nida and I with a rendition of "Five hundred men they were". I'm lucky to have such a good friend. Even Nida would burst out laughing when Zell was around, and Nida hardly ever burst out laughing.

The posse "adopted" Irvine and I into their group. I got along best with Fujin and Irvine got along best with Raijin. Seifer was the serious one in the group (Fujin would only act silly when I was around, go figure) and always had to calm us down when we got too rowdy. I loved hanging out with them, and hearing our unique laughs mix into one was like listening to birds singing. Yes, even Seifer would laugh when provoked. I tried to keep those fun times in mind as I tried selling tickets. Nida and I were getting a few more sales but I knew that there were still people that hadn't bought any. I found that I would get more people to buy tickets if I just sat there and didn't say anything. You can't imagine how hard that is for me to do.

It was two days after that awful scene with Zell and the posse. Nida had sold another ticket and was in high spirits. The posse and Irvine were coming our way, their laughter filling the whole area with life. Irvine stopped suddenly, Raijin nearly bumping into him. I smiled and waved at them and they all waved back. The posse whispered something to Irvine and forcibly pushed him towards me. He said something to them and slowly made his way over to me. _Please don't ignore me,_ I prayed. Irvine smiled at me, then looked over his shoulder. The posse was quietly watching the scene from a safe distance away. Irvine shook his head and tried to ignore them. He tipped his hat like he always did when he greeted me.

"Selphie, dahlin? There's somethin' I've been meanin' to ask you." I stood up, my body quivering in anticipation. He swallowed and scratched the back of his neck. "Uh… will you, ah… I mean…" His voice sounded unusually high. He cleared his throat. A bead of sweat appeared on his forehead and slowly trickled down his face. "Selphie, would you like to go to the Festival with me?" I stared at him with my mouth half-open. _Am I dreaming? Did he really say that?_ I wanted to say something, to nod my head, _anything_, but my body wouldn't obey. He frowned a little and stared at me in confusion. "Selphie? You all right?"

"You want me to go with you?" I whispered, still unable to believe it. He smiled and turned red.

"Sure. I've wanted to ask you for a while now but I just couldn't get up the courage. So… will you go with me?" I slowly moved from my chair and walked over to him. I had pictured myself going wild, knocking over everything that stood between Irvine and myself, and here I was being calm and collected. I put my arms around him and kissed his cheek.

"Of courses I'll go," I answered in a husky voice. I could feel his excitement trembling in his limbs and it soon affected me. I giggled and kissed his other cheek. "Of course I'll go with you!" A grin spread across his face.

"Really?" 

"Really!" Irvine laughed and hoisted me up in the air, twirling me around.

"Yeehaa!" 

"Woo-hoo!" I giggled crazily; neither of us could stop laughing. I wanted to dance, I was so happy. He set me back down on the ground and held me close. Our hearts shared the same beat. Our chests were falling up and down in sync with one another. I closed my eyes and breathed him in. Strong arms were crushing both of us. I felt something icy touch my cheek. My eyes fluttered open and I saw that Fujin and Raijin were embracing us. Seifer watched us, looking a little awkward all by himself. We begged him to join us and he reluctantly obeyed. Five bodies intertwined as we shared the happy moment together. At last we broke apart. I still clung onto Irvine's arm.

"You know, it feels pretty good to have friends," Seifer said. I couldn't believe my eyes, but he looked like he was actually _smiling_. It was nothing big, just a little smile, but still! _I knew he wasn't a bad guy._

"HAPPY," Fujin smiled. 

"We're all going to have such a good time at the Festival!" I declared. Nida smiled at us but didn't move from his post. We exchanged glances and went over to him. His smile turned weak.

"What are you doing?"

"Group hug!" Raijin shouted, and all five of us squeezed Nida in our arms.

_____

I ran into the nearest room, which happened to be the training room. There were only a few people in there. I shouted my good news and went on to the next spot. I saw many confused faces before I jetted onward. I heard one of them ask "What was _that_ all about?" In the Quad, a few SeeDs were fooling around on the stage. I told them my news and looked around for more people. There were students standing on the cliff. They too heard the reason I was so happy. I had surprised one of them so much they almost fell over the cliff. I ran away, but not before making sure he was okay. My next destination was the dormitories. I burst into the nearest room. Squall was standing there in his SeeD Commander uniform.

"Selphie?" he frowned.

"I'm going to the Festival with Irvine!" I announced.

"What?" I slammed the door and went on to the next room. I did the same thing to everyone I came across. In one room I saw Rinoa and Quistis talking. They glanced up in surprise when I burst in.

"I'm going to the Festival with Irvine!"

"How nice for you!" Rinoa smiled.

"Congratulations," Quistis added. I grinned and ran off. Dr. Kadowaki was the only one in the infirmary. She was also delighted to hear my news. When I reached the library I calmed down and entered quietly. Oonagh was shelving books. I tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hello, Miss Petite," she greeted.

"I have something to tell you, but I have to do it outside," I whispered. She understood and followed me outside the library. "I'm going to the Festival with Irvine!" I blurted. Her face glowed with happiness.

"Wow! Good for you! It's about time!"

"I know! I know!" We hugged and jumped up and down. Oonagh would never act that way unless I was around. "He just went right up to me and asked me. At first I wasn't sure if he actually said it. This is just about the happiest day in my life!"

"I'm so happy for you!" She hugged me again.

"I have to go tell Zell!" I waved and ran off to the cafeteria. It was the first place I thought of to look for him. I was right; he sat at a table cramming hot dogs into his mouth. I took a seat next to him and waited until he had the mouthful down. He took a swig of water and swallowed it. He grinned broadly.

"What's up?"

"I'm going to the Festival with Irvine!" I declared, nearly screaming. Zell's eyes bugged out and he fell over in his chair. I glanced down at him curiously. He stood up and picked up his chair. 

"With Irvine?" he repeated, his voice sounding strange.

"Yep. I'm going with Irvine." I bounced excitedly in my chair.

"Oh." He frowned at his empty plate. "But what about me?"

"There are plenty of girls you can go with." He continued to study his plate. I wondered if he was still hungry.

"I know," he sighed. "I could go with lots of other girls, but… man, Selphie, I was really looking forward to going with _you_." He blushed at the confession and tried in vain to hide it. I felt my cheeks begin to burn. My insides churned nervously.

"Then why didn't you say so?" Zell, still staring at his plate, shrugged his shoulders.

"Because you wanted to go with Irvine."

"Oh…" Now I felt worse than ever about rejecting him before. "You'll find someone to go with. And anyway, it's not like you're chained to the person you take. I reserved a dance with you, remember?" 

"It's not the same thing."

"Zell, I'm really sorry. I feel awful." I held his hands in mine and smiled, hoping that he would smile too. He continued to remain somber. _If I had known how much this would hurt Zell, would I have accepted Irvine?_ I asked myself. No answer came. Zell glanced up to me and for the first time in my time knowing him, he looked sad. I went over to him and put my arms around him. "Zell, don't worry. You'll find someone, I know it. You're such a great person to hang out with." I rubbed my nose on his jacket. He smelled like hotdogs and sweat.

"You're wrong, Selphie. No one else will go with me. You're the only girl I've asked who accepted, and believe me, I asked a _lot_ of girls. But now I can't even go with _you_. What am I supposed to do?"

"I never meant to hurt your feelings, Zell. I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, I know." There had to be a way for me to fix this. I just _had_ to make it up to him. 

_____

I tossed and turned in my bed; I couldn't get to sleep. I got up and took a walk. The metal floor chilled my naked feet. I noticed that there wasn't anyone guarding the Quad, so I went in there. I should've been cautious, since the Quad usually wasn't left unguarded, but I didn't think anything of it. Only night-lights illuminated the area. I spotted someone sitting near the pool and as I drew closer I found it to be Seifer. I quietly went over to him and sat down beside him. He acknowledged me but didn't say anything right away. I stuck my feet in the cool water and splashed around.

"Insomnia?" he asked after a long silence.

"Yeah. You?"

"Yeah." I splashed in the water for a while longer. "Anything in particular keeping you up?"

"I have a little guy problem. What's troubling you?"

"Nightmares." I shuttered convulsively. _I don't envy him those nightmares._

"Oh." I took my feet out of the water and shook them dry. A few droplets fell on Seifer but he didn't seem to mind. He ran a hand through his hair.

"I know I'm the last person you'd expect to say this, but… do you want to talk about it?" I was a little surprised at this, but he _was_ my friend.

"Yeah, it'll make me feel better." I stared into the water, trying to think of how to begin. "Irvine asked me to the dance."

"No surprise there," Seifer grunted. "And you accepted him, no doubt." I nodded. "Oh. That's… great. Good for you."

"No, _not_ good for me!" I argued. "That's the whole problem! You see, I promised Zell I would go with him if no one asked me three days before the Festival. When I told him about Irvine asking me, he got upset. I don't know what to do. I really want to go with Irvine, but I don't want to hurt Zell's feelings." I drew my legs towards my chest. I felt like I was going to cry… again. Seifer absorbed what I told him in silence.

"Why don't you just go with both of them?"

"I can't do that!" I cried. "It wouldn't be a good situation for any of us." _I would always be worrying about if I spent enough time with each of them._ I actually thought about going with both of them, but it would be too hard to go from one to the other. Not to mention what _they_ would think about the arrangement.

"Seems to me that the best option would be not to go with either of them, then."

"But then who would I go with?" I frowned. This was followed by a long pause.

"Me." I gaped at him. He was staring back at me without a single trace of embarrassment. _Is he… asking me to the dance?_ It seemed so unlikely, so out of character.

"Oh. Is that why you bought two tickets?"

"Yeah." Seifer was another person I would never be able to figure out.

"But…" He held up his hand and shook his head. 

"Listen, Selphie. You don't have to go with me, or Zell, or Irvine, or whoever else asks you. This is going to sound corny, but… listen to your heart. It's usually right about these things." I sighed and hugged my legs tightly.

"I just don't know what to do." 

Author's note: Just so you know, I _was_ going to have Irvine not ask her. But I thought it over and decided it didn't make much sense for him not to. As I have it now, poor Selphie is in quite a predicament. You'll have to read on to see how things turn out! 


	10. Roomies

10: Roomies

Almost overnight a change went over Irvine and Zell. Whenever I saw Irvine, his face would break out into a smile. Well, I mean, that happened before, but now I could almost _feel_ his excitement. He was glad to see me, really and truly _glad_. As for Zell, his behavior was completely out of character. It was like he developed a sudden shyness of me. All it took for him to start blushing was a smile. I tried to tell him how sorry I was but he always changed the subject. I would prefer Zell to act like his old self. Irvine, now… that's another story. I kind of like how he smiles at me now. The best part is that he's not being hounded by his little fan club anymore.

Seifer became like my older brother. I deeply considered going with him; it would be easier than saying "no" to Zell yet again. But then that would mean saying it to Irvine. Oh, I was in such a bad situation! Seifer was my only guy friend I could go to and talk about my problems. I couldn't talk to Irvine or Zell for obvious reasons and Squall just wasn't the best person to talk to about _anything_. Oh, I forgot about Nida. I guess it just didn't occur to me to talk to him about all this mess. He would probably say something like "I wouldn't know what to do, either". The more I thought about going with Seifer, the better that idea sounded. _Maybe I should,_ I thought. But then my brain would start screaming _Irvine! Irvine! Irvine! _and I would have to think some more.

It was with these thoughts swimming through my skull that I came upon a crowd of people forming a circle. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I could tell from the noise that a fight was going on. My heart leapt in fear; I desperately prayed that it wasn't the posse. I searched the crowd for someone I knew. Seifer's white coat stood out against everyone else's uniforms. I pushed past people, apologizing along the way. Elbows knocked into my side, heels dug into my toes, and voices yelled in my ears. Someone pushed me roughly and I stumbled right into Seifer.

"Selphie?"

"Yikes! I feel like a sardine!" I gasped. I straightened my uniform. "What's going on here?" Seifer sighed, shaking his head wearily.

"Zell's gone overboard again."

"Is he hurting any of the posse?"

"Better show you," he grunted. Without warning he bent down and positioned one of his arms below my legs and the other behind my back. 

"H-hey, what're you doing?" I demanded. He effortlessly hoisted me up in the air and put me on his shoulders. He held my legs so I wouldn't fall off. I felt kind of silly being up there but I soon got over it and concentrated on the scene before me. I gasped and would've tipped over if Seifer didn't steady me.

Zell and Irvine were standing in the center of the circle the crowd had made. Zell was standing, anyway. Irvine was on the ground, lying on his side. His hat was nowhere to be seen. Both of them had taken off their coats; the articles were flung on the ground and had been forgotten by their owners. Zell wasn't wearing gloves and I could see specks of blood on his bare knuckles. Irvine bore fresh bruises on his face and blood was gently running out of his nose. Zell had a black eye forming and I could see a little blood at the corner of his mouth.

"Put me down!" I insisted. "I've got to stop this!" Where was Squall? He could've stopped this! What good was being a commander if he didn't do his job? Seifer put his hands under my armpits and gently returned me to the earth.

"I don't suggest it, Sellie. When Squall tried to break them up, Zell slugged him right in the face. The guy broke Squall's jaw!" It was strange to hear my old pet name coming from him. I looked at Seifer and saw that he was genuinely concerned about me. I was so touched I wanted to give him a hug. There was unfortunately no time for that, so I took a rain check and promised myself I'd hug him the next chance I had. _Right now I have to talk some sense into Zell._

"Zell will listen to me. I know he will." Seifer seemed reluctant about letting me go, but he knew better than to stand in my way. I pushed through the rest of the crowd and walked over to Zell. Everyone took in a collective gasp and they started talking among themselves. Zell glanced over at me and turned pale. Irvine gingerly pushed himself to a sitting position and offered me a weak smile. I stood before Zell with my hands on my hips. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

"Uh…" Zell had the same look on his face that he had whenever an instructor caught him at doing something wrong.

"Come on, Zell. I see plain as day that you and Irvine had a disagreement. I want to know what's going on." Zell's eyes darted around the room in search of an excuse. He spread his arms out wide and grinned innocently.

"Boys will be boys, hehehe."

"That doesn't work anymore, Zell. Try again."

"Uh…" Zell pointed his finger accusingly at Irvine. "He started it!" Irvine shook his head, his eyes desperately trying to convey his innocence.

"Zell Dincht!" I scolded. "Tell me what happened right now!"

"I punched him and he punched me back," answered Zell blankly. "Then I started really beating him up and he refused to fight back. It was my fault and I'm sorry." I clicked my tongue.

"What am I going to do with you boys? You've been roommates ever since Irvine came to the Garden. You should be able to get along by now." Zell crossed his arms and chose to remain silent. I went over to Irvine and studied his bruises. "Can you stand up?" He nodded and slowly got to his feet. I helped steady him until he was fully erect. 

"Thanks, Selphie," he smiled. Now that the fight was over, the crowd scattered. Only the posse remained.

"Need any help?" Raijin offered.

"I think we'll manage," I answered. One look at Zell told me he wasn't in the mood for company. Seifer and Raijin retrieved the discarded jackets and returned them to their owners. Zell grabbed his jacket from Raijin and didn't even mutter a "thank-you".

"WAIT HERE," Fujin said. I assumed she was talking to the guys; they snorted but obeyed her order. I gently directed Irvine to the infirmary, Zell following behind. I could hear his feet scuffling the ground. I could hear him cursing under his breath.

"Selphie, dahlin, you never cease to amaze me," Irvine spoke up.

"And _you_ never cease to amaze _me_," I returned. "What started this whole mess, anyway?" The two roommates didn't say anything. "Well?"

"Nothing. He just did something to piss me off, is all," Zell grunted.

" 'Just did something to piss you off'?" I mimicked. "That's so stupid." We came to the infirmary. I could already see Squall lying on one of the beds, bandages wrapped around his jaw. Rinoa sat by his side. Dr. Kadowaki didn't act very surprised at Irvine and Zell's bruises. She ushered them to two unoccupied beds and set to work cleaning them up without asking for an explanation.

"The fight is over. Thank goodness," Rinoa sighed. "I'm glad they didn't kill each other."

"Were you worried about us?" Zell asked.

"Worried that you'd both be dead." Zell laughed. Irvine rolled his eyes and wiped at the blood that was running out of his nose. Squall tapped Rinoa on her arm. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment. Rinoa turned back to us, a smile playing on her lips. "Squall says that you guys are irresponsible."

"You can read his thoughts?" I awed. Rinoa shrugged modestly.

"More or less." _Cool. I hope Irvine and I have that kind of connection some day._ Squall looked over at Zell. He pointed to the fighter, then drew his finger across his throat. Zell's eyes grew wide and he swallowed nervously. "Squall says…"

"I know what that means!" Zell interrupted. Rinoa chuckled playfully. I helped Dr. Kadowaki administer to the roommates. Zell grew nervous when I went over to him. I put a bag of ice over his black eye and cleaned the blood off his knuckles. Irvine was beginning to look like a mummy; his face was covered in bandages. Zell couldn't stop laughing at him. I pinched his arm and gave him a stern look.

"Be_have_, Zell!" I hissed.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied sarcastically.

"You both look ridiculous," Rinoa chuckled. "Now you see that fighting each other is pointless?" Zell shrugged his shoulders and Irvine nodded his head. I sat by Irvine's bed and discreetly covered his hand with mine. He noticed the gesture and smiled at me. _It's been a long time since Rinoa and I talked. Maybe _she_ can help me with my problems._

"Rinoa, I have a question for you." I studied the sorceress' face. Her black hair spilled down her back like an ebony waterfall. Her eyes stared back at me, questioning.

"I'll do my best to answer."

"Well…" I paused, forming the words in my mind. I lifted my hand away from Irvine's and clasped it in my other hand. "A good friend of mine has had two guys ask her to the Festival and she can't decide who to go with." I used the old "friend of mine" trick. I didn't want Zell and Irvine to know it was really me with the problem. Zell sat up and leaned forward. There was an eagerness on his face that made me a little uneasy. _Yikes! Does he know it's me?_ Rinoa considered the dilemma for a moment.

"Which one does she want to go with?"

"That's the problem: she wants to go with both of them, but she knows she can't do that. She doesn't want to hurt either of them by rejecting them." Rinoa's brow wrinkled. She frowned; this made her look very cute.

"That _does_ sound like a hard decision. I would suggest going with whichever one of them asked her first, but it's really up to her." _Go with whichever one of them asked me first? That would be Zell._

"But what if she _really_ wants to go with the other guy, but she's afraid she'll hurt the first guy's feelings?"

"Hell, _that's_ no contest! Tell her to go with the guy she _wants_ to go with!" Zell shouted. "I mean, if she really wants to go with this one dude, she should do it! That other guy would understand." I couldn't believe those words came out of his mouth. Wasn't he the one that couldn't understand that I wanted to go with Irvine? Irvine glared at Zell.

"You're one to talk. You got all upset 'cause Selphie wants to go to the Festival with me instead of you." _Uh, oh. They figured it out._ Zell returned the glare.

"Yeah? Well, I asked her first!"

"But she wants to go with me! Didn't you say just a second ago that the other gal should go with whoever she wants to? Well, what's so different about Selphie?" Zell opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. I was watching the scene, my body quivering with tears aching to come out. 

"Well… well… she's the only one that accepted me!" Zell sputtered. "So she should go with _me_!"

"She wants to go with _me_, you ass!"

"You're the ass!"

"No, you are!" Both of them were on their feet by now and I was afraid they were going to start punching each other again.

"You two better behave yourselves," Rinoa warned, holding up her hands to calm them. "We don't want you guys in here longer than necessary."

"Well, if _he_ wasn't such an ass, I wouldn't have punched him in his cocky face!" Zell snapped.

"And if _you_ didn't mind your own damn business, neither of us would be here right now!" Irvine retorted. They shot daggers at each other. Then the volcano erupted and they started shouting. I could barely make out what they were saying, and maybe that was a good thing. I covered my ears but still their voices rang in my head. Hot tears stung my cheeks.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" I shrieked. The noise died down at once. My friends stared at me, their mouths hanging open in shock (all except for Squall, of course). "I'm not going with _either_ of you if you're going to act this way!" This declaration was followed by dead silence. Tears continued to spill out of my eyes. "Just for your information, that _friend_ I was talking about is me!" Zell chocked and sank back down to a sitting position. Irvine slowly followed suit. "I want to go with Irvine but Zell made me feel bad about rejecting him before. You're just making it harder by fighting each other!" My ragged breaths stung my ears in the silence.

"I'm sorry, dahlin," Irvine said. "Why didn't you say somethin' before?"

"Because I knew you'd start fighting. I guess there was no avoiding it, regardless," I answered. Rinoa stood up and handed me a handkerchief. "Thank you." I cleaned off the tears and wadded the handkerchief into a ball.

"I'm really sorry, dahlin," Irvine repeated. 

"Go with Irvine, Sellie. He's the guy you want," Zell suggested, his voice sounding lifeless.

"I don't know what to do," I admitted. I sat on the ground and hugged myself. My body ached to feel Irvine's arms around me. 

_____

Hyne help me. I feel so lost. I ache for Irvine, but there's another side of me that doesn't want to hurt Zell. What should I do? They're both so dear to me. I know that it doesn't matter who I go with; it's not the Festival that's bothering me. Give me strength. I'll definitely need it in the days to come.

Bless my friends, dear Hyne. Watch over Seifer, Fujin, and Raijin. I pray that they'll all have a great time at the Festival. I hope that Seifer finds a nice girl to go with him, because he deserves some happiness after all he's gone through. Hyne, please help Zell forgive the posse for their past actions. Help the Garden to accept them as Irvine and I have done. Watch over them and make sure they don't get into any more trouble.

I pray that the Festival will be a success. We've worked really hard on it. I hope that Nida has a good time with Quistis. I can' t believe how thrilled he is to have her as his date. Please help us sell the rest of the tickets. Also watch over my friend Oonagh and Walter Oren. I can tell that Oonagh cares a great deal for the instructor; I pray that he takes good care of her and doesn't do anything to hurt her. I pray all this in Hyne's name, amen.


	11. Memory

11: Memory

There was one place in the whole Garden that I was certain neither Zell or Irvine would be in: the library. I took refuge in that place so I could mull over my problems. My instructors weren't too happy that I was skipping class but Nida was kind enough to cover for me. He brought me all my homework into the library and updated me on what was going on in the outside world. He was kind enough to leave out two names in these updates. I was grateful for his kindness; it was just too bad that he was already going with someone. Oonagh also helped me out when she could. With the two of them helping me out, I was guaranteed not to be bothered or in trouble.

I had already decided to go with Irvine. I was sitting by myself in the library so I could test myself. I would spend some time in there by myself without anything to distract me. Then I'd let my mind wander wherever it wanted. If it rested on a certain person, then I would of course have to go with them. This plan only halfway worked. My mind _did_ wander off by itself. But it wandered a little _too_ much. I observed the books, wondering what could possibly be in all those pages. A second later I started playing with my toes. There were always people to watch as they went in and out of the library. It was almost like my mind was purposefully distracting itself from the very reason I came to the library in the first place.

Slowly, my subconscious mind opened a door that had been locked for many years. It was a door that held precious memories, a door I never intended to be locked. This lock was hard to break; it had rusted over from neglect. Perhaps the myth was true that GFs wiped away some of your memory, or maybe the forgetfulness was my own doing. Whatever reason, it took a long time before the lock that had protected my memories was broken. It was almost a relief when the lock broke and the memories were allowed to show themselves again. I wasn't hit by the memories all at once. Instead, they came upon me slowly in reverse chronological order...

_____

It was very cold outside. I was standing just inside the doorway, watching my breath become clouds of fog in front of my very eyes. I giggled and exhaled again. It was fun to watch the fog that used to be my breath. Two little boys were outside playing in the cold. I glanced around to see if bossy ole Quisty was close by. She wasn't around, so I went outside to join the boys. If she saw me outside in the cold, she would've gotten so mad. It was unusual for us to be allowed to be outside when it was so cold. Soon Matron would be out telling us to come in.

"Sellie! Come over here!" I ran over to where Irvy and Zell were playing. Zell tackled me and we rolled around on the ground, laughing hysterically. Irvy wasn't as rough as Zell, which was a good thing. Zell didn't wrestle me for long. I got up and dusted myself off. Zell wasn't as rough with me as he would've been with one of the guys. Irvy was bouncing a ball and invited me to play with him. He and I threw the ball back and forth.

"Come inside, everyone!" Matron's voice interrupted our game. "It's getting too cold." Zell muttered something. Irvy and I were a bit more obedient and raced to see who could get inside first. Zell came up last, doing a somersault and nearly crashing into a table. My cheeks were still cold from being outside. I took a seat by the fire; Irvy sat next to me. Zell got warm by bouncing around, always the one to be on the move. Quisty joined us, wearing a smug grin.

"I was inside the whole time," she gloated. It was like she did something right that no one else could do.

"So what?" Zell snapped. That was exactly what I had been thinking. Squall was all by himself. I don't know why he liked sitting alone like that. It wasn't like he was going to catch cooties. Zell and Irvy weren't afraid of catching cooties; I had cured them of that fear personally.

"All right. Let's make sure everyone's here," Matron said. "Zell?" Zell stopped bouncing long enough to speak.

"Yo!"

"Irvine?" Irvy smiled and waved his hand.

"Here!"

"Selphie?"

"Here!" I sang, smiling brightly.

"Quistis?" Quisty sat up straight and tried to look proper.

"Present." She was always showing off like that.

"Squall?" Squall barely moved his head.

"Yeah."

"Seifer?" There was a pause. "Seifer?" Matron repeated, beginning to grow worried. There was still no response. "Oh, my. Where is Seifer? Was he outside playing?"

"Nope," Irvy, Zell, and I answered in unison.

"I hope he's not outside. Poor thing." My hand shot up.

"I'll go look for him!"

"I'll go too!" Irvy volunteered. Matron smiled at us.

"All right, but mind that you don't catch a cold."

"We won't!" We clasped hands and raced outside. Irvy and I decided to check the beach. I could see the lighthouse in the distance and for a moment I thought Seifer might be in there. Irvy tapped my shoulder. He pointed up to a cliff overlooking the ocean. Sitting on that cliff was Seifer. Irvy and I climbed up the rocky slope. Seifer continued to stare out into the ocean.

"Seifer, it's time to come in," I said.

"I don't want to," he grunted.

"But it's getting cold!" Irvy protested, breathing out a wisp of smoke to demonstrate. I saw Seifer's breath turn into fog in front of his face.

"I don't care."

"Matron will get mad!" I warned.

"So go in and leave me alone." He rubbed his arms; so he could feel the cold. Irvy and I exchanged looks. I sat down by Seifer and Irvy sat beside me. Seifer stared at us. "What're you two doing?"

"I don't want you to be all by yourself. This is the last time we'll be together as a family. Won't you please come inside with us?" I begged. Seifer didn't answer.

"Matron is worried. You don't want her to get upset, do you?" Irvy asked.

"I don't want to go," Seifer mumbled.

"You'll freeze!" I whined.

'No, I mean, I don't want to go away. I don't want to go away from here."

"We gotta. We're going to be adopted!" I squeezed his cold hand in mine. "Don't you want to go with your adopted family?"

"No." Seifer shook his head. "I want to stay here with Matron."

"Me too," Irvy agreed, "but we can't stay here all the time. Matron says we have to have families of our own and grow up like normal kids."

"Yeah…," Seifer sighed. "Normal kids." He tried to find more to say, but nothing else came out.

"Come inside with us, Seifer!" I insisted. "Please, oh, please, oh, please?" I gave him a cute pout. He groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Sellie, you know I can't say no to you." Only three people called me by my nickname: Irvy, Zell, and Seifer. He stood up and we went inside together. Irvy and I tried to figure out which one of us was colder. Irvy insisted I was colder but he still seemed colder to me. Seifer said he was colder than both of us and we had to agree with that. The three of us sat down by the fire. Zell would've usually picked a fight with Seifer, but it was our last day together, so he was being civil.

"I'm glad to see you're all right, Seifer," Matron smiled. Seifer didn't say anything. I rested my head on Irvy's shoulder.

"Where are you going, Irvy? Where's your new home?" His brow wrinkled up as he tried to remember.

"I think it's Galbadia, or something like that."

"I'm going to a place called Trabia," I announced. I poked Zell in the arm. "Where are you going, Zell?"

"Balamb," he answered.

"So am I," Quisty realized. Squall scooted closer to the fire, silently entering into the conversation.

"That's where I'm going, too."

"Me too," Seifer grunted.

"Not fair!" I pouted. "Irvy and I have to go off somewhere by ourselves and they are all together! How come we aren't going to Balamb too?" I glanced up at Matron expectantly. She smiled sadly. 

"I'm sorry, Selphie. There's nothing I can do."

"Well, that's no fun." I crossed my arms in a huff. "We may never see each other again!"

"We should make a promise never to forget each other," Irvy suggested. I hugged him around the middle.

"That's a great idea! We'll promise never, ever to forget each other, or Matron, for as long as we live! What do you guys think?" I turned to the others for their input. Zell grinned and gave the thumb's up. Quisty nodded her head.

"Not that I could forget you," Seifer noted. We all glanced at Squall.

"Whatever," he shrugged. 

_____

I broke that promise; we all did. We could blame it on the GFs, we could blame it on distractions of life, or any number of things. The truth was that we just plain forgot, simple as that. Our memories came back to us so it was like we had never forgotten in the first place. We were all together again, Seifer included. Finally the family was reunited. Rinoa was a new addition to our little group but we welcomed her as one of us. That particular memory had been bittersweet, but it was nice to relive it anyway.

_____

I decided that I didn't like boats very much. It was making my stomach feel funny. I tried not to look at the water; it made me want to throw up. There was a lady standing beside me. The lady was a friend of my parents. She often took care of me when my parents were busy. Her hand was on my back. She was nice to me and let me have as many handkerchiefs to cry on as I wanted. I had been crying ever since we left my home. I didn't want to leave home but the lady said it would be too dangerous for me there. I could really get hurt, so I had to go away. She said she was taking me somewhere so I could be safe. But I was still crying.

The boat ride was long and I didn't eat very much because I threw it back up. I wanted to get off the boat. I kept crying, this time because I didn't want to be on the boat anymore. I was begging the lady to let me off the boat. She told me she would once we reached the lighthouse. So I waited and waited, sometimes asking her if we were near the lighthouse yet. We got closer and closer to land and I could see a lighthouse ahead. I knew it was a lighthouse 'cause I had seen them in pictures. I cheered and jumped up and down on the deck. My stomach didn't bother me so much. We docked the boat; I ran off the boat and rolled around on the grass laughing. I was happy to be on land again. 

The lady led me to a house that was near the lighthouse. The front of the house looked like a garden. It was very pretty. There was a lady dressed all in black standing at the doorway of the house. She even had black hair. The lady that had been guiding me took me to this black lady. I was a little scared of the black lady but she had a pretty smile, so I wasn't afraid of her for very long. She reached her hand down and stroked my cheek. I felt safe with her and was even less afraid. 

"Dear child," the black lady cooed in a gentle voice. The lady that brought me put down my bags.

"Her name is Selphina Tilmitt, and…" She whispered something in the black lady's ear. The black lady smiled down at me.

"Welcome, Selphina. My name is Edea Kramer, but you may call me Matron." I stuck part of my thumb in my mouth.

"Okay… Matron." I smiled nervously. I wasn't used to calling adults things like that. Matron continued to smile at me. The lady ruffled up my hair and turned to leave. "Hey! Where're you going?"

"I have to go home, Selphina," she answered. "Don't worry, though. You'll be safe here." She waved to me and got on the boat. I felt abandoned as the ship started sailing further and further away from the beach. Matron bent down and picked up my bags.

"I hope you'll be happy here, Selphina. Come and I'll introduce you to the others." I obediently followed her into the house. I liked the place at once. There was a boy with spiky blonde hair attempting to stand on his head. I saw a little girl like me reading with a pretty lady wearing blue. There were three other boys all by themselves. Two of them looked like they wanted it that way while the third observed everyone with shy curiosity. The lady wearing blue glanced up.

"Children, we have a guest," she said softly. I liked her instantly. The boy with spiky blonde hair fell over on his back. The other children stood up and stared at me. I put part of my thumb in my mouth and bit down with my two front teeth.

"This is Selphina Tilmitt," Matron announced. "She'll be staying with us for a while." I didn't like being called by my full name. Only my parents did that, and they weren't here.

"Excuse me, Matron, but could you please call me Selphie?" Matron smiled.

"Very well, Selphie." The other kids continued to stare at me. The boy that had fallen on the floor hopped up and went over to me. He stuck his hand out in front of me.

"Hi! I'm Zell!" I had seen people shake hands before and knew what to do. "Let me introduce you to the others." He took me by the arm and dragged me over to the other kids. He first presented me to the girl. She had blonde hair that was pulled up in a ponytail. "This is Quistis. We call her Quisty for short."

"Nice to meet you," she nodded.

"Hi," I said meekly.

"And that's Sis. She's really nice," Zell added.

"I'm so glad to have you join us," she smiled. Sis is a strange name, I thought. I wonder why she's called that? Zell didn't let us talk for long; he took me to a boy with blonde hair. 

"That's Seifer. He's a meanie." I smiled and waved at him. He blinked in surprise and returned the gesture uneasily.

"He might not be so bad." Seifer looked a little surprised that I was being friendly with him. I felt silly with my thumb in my mouth so I took it out. Zell next presented me to a boy with brown hair. He didn't look like he wanted company.

"That's Squall. He's only a little bit nicer than Seifer." I smiled at Squall but he just stared at me. At least Seifer had an expression on his face. The last kid I met had brown hair but he smiled when I came up to him. He stood up and nodded his head in greeting.

"I'm Irvine. I'm new here, too. I only got here yesterday."

"So I'm not the only one!" I smiled. That was a relief. "Can I sit with you?" His whole face lit up.

"Sure!" I sat down; this didn't seem to bother Zell. He went back to trying to stand on his head. "Selphie is a nice name for you. Would it be okay, though, if I call you Sellie?" I thought about it for a while.

"Okay, but only if I can call you Irvy."

"Sure." I had made my very first friend in my new home.

_____

Irvine and I were close from the first day we met. Thinking of Irvine made me feel warm inside. Was this the sign I had been waiting for? Soon Irvine filled my whole mind, forcing my memories out of the way. I could almost feel his touch. I ached for him so badly. Why was I sitting here, waiting around for something to happen? I had to go see Irvine. Enough waiting around; I knew what I wanted to do now. But even as I made that decision, one last memory snaked its way forward.

_____

Mommy and Daddy are so fun to play with. They know just where to tickle me to make me start laughing. I held onto Mommy's hand so I wouldn't get lost. It was a pretty spring afternoon and the sun was out. Daddy hoisted me up in the air and gave me a great big hug. I laughed until I was afraid I would pee in my skirt. He put me back on the ground. Mommy smiled and held my hand again. I felt very safe with them. We came to a big field full of flowers. I stared out, my eyes wide.

"Pretty!" I awed. I slipped from Mommy's grasp and ran into the flowers.

"Selphina! Come back!" Daddy shouted. I laughed and kept on running. I would play hide-and-seek with them in the flowers. There were flowers further away that were so tall they would hide me. I ran towards them, ignoring my parents' shouts to stop. This was a game we played all the time. They weren't angry with me, just a little upset that I was getting so far away from them.

"Selphina! Selphina!" Mommy shouted. Her voice was growing softer. I was faster than I thought. I went into the tall flowers and sat on the ground. My sides hurt from running so much. I breathed in the flowery scent that was all around me. At last I could breathe normally. Birds made little noises over my head. I kept quiet and listened for my parents' footsteps. There were lots of pretty things to look at while I waited. Butterflies fluttered around and some landed very close to me.

I waited and waited for a long time. My dress was getting all dirty from sitting in the grass so long. Mommy would be upset with me, but she would be more upset if I took it off. A little rabbit hopped by. It was so close I was able to pet it a little before it hopped away. Ants crawled on me, but I wasn't scared of insects. I brushed them off and they just kept right on crawling on me. The sun was sinking lower into the sky and still my parents didn't come get me. I wondered why they weren't coming yet. I didn't like being all alone, even if I got to see lots of pretty things.

The sky grew darker and darker and I really started to get worried. I was afraid of the dark. I was too scared to move. The flowers had been so pretty during the day, but as it got darker they turned into scary things looming over me. Monsters liked dark time the best. What if one came and ate me up? I wanted to cry but I was afraid the noise would attract monsters. I sat shivering and prayed to Hyne that someone would find me. I wanted someone to hug me and tell me everything was going to be okay. Being alone was scary; I didn't ever want to feel like this again. 

I heard footsteps coming near me. I thought it was monsters coming to get me. Mommy taught me that monsters were afraid of music, so I tried to think of a song to sing. I was too scared to think of any good songs. Then all of a sudden I started singing in a shaky voice:

"I like banana pudding

And delicious cherry pie.

Give me lots of yummy sweets,

Choc'late cookies would be divine."

"Selphina? Selphina Tilmitt?" I knew that voice, and it wasn't a monster. A tall man with a kind face smiled down at me. It was the man that ran the items shop in our town, Mr. Dibber. "Thank Hyne you're all right, child!" He picked me up and put me in his wheelbarrow.

"I'm glad you're not a monster, Mr. Dibbler," I said. 

"Do you know how worried we've all been?" he asked. "We thought for sure we lost you. It's a good thing I got here when I did." Mr. Dibbler's golden retriever was trotting at his master's side. He scurried over to me and licked my face.

"Hello, Maxx." The dog looked happy to see me. I looked up at Mr. Dibbler. "Where're my mommy and daddy? I waited and waited for them to come get me but they never came." Mr. Dibbler didn't say anything. "I hope they're not too mad at me. I wanted to play hide-and-seek and those big flowers hid me." Maxx nudged my arm with his nose. I obediently gave him a pat on his head.

"Your parents are gone, Selphina," said Mr. Dibbler quietly. I tilted my head to one side.

"Where are they?"

"In Hyne's heaven." I made a funny noise in my throat. Mommy explained to me that Hyne sometimes brought people to his heaven if they were in pain or he felt like they spent enough time on earth. Why did Hyne bring Mommy and Daddy to his heaven? I need them here with me! I was a little mad at Hyne but I had to be grateful too because he answered my prayer.

"What will I do?"

"We'll find someone who can take care of you. I promise." I learned a very valuable lesson that day: being alone is bad. I lost two important people that day. There were lots of other people that were lost that day, but no other children lost their mommies and daddies. I missed them already; I was starting to feel lonely. I didn't ever want to be alone again. Never, ever.

_____

Now I understood. I understood why loneliness had scared me so badly. As a child I had been by myself for hours waiting for my parents to find me. When I was finally found, I discovered I was an orphan. I never found out what had caused my parents' deaths; I wouldn't have understood anyway. It all made sense. That childhood fear resurfaced and I desperately tried to find some way to get rid of it. Without even thinking I went to Irvine. He was my answer; he could protect me. 

"Irvine," I whispered longingly. I had to get out of the stuffy library. I had to see Irvine. I had to tell him how much I cared for him. Most of all, I had to know if he felt the same way for me. Zell would be hurt, but I couldn't deny what my heart told me. I thanked Hyne for giving me answers to my prayers.


	12. One Week Left!

12: One Week Left!

I told Zell about what had happened while I was in the library. His black eye looked a little better. He smiled as I related the memories I experienced. When I mentioned Irvine, he got a little sad. He assured me that he didn't mind if I went with Irvine. He was a very bad liar. I went to Irvine next and related the same story. I finished, glancing at him to see his reaction. He just kept smiling at me. I wondered if he had even heard me. He suddenly snapped out of his daze and gave me a hug.

"Selphie, you an' I are gonna put everyone else to shame at the Festival!" he cried. I giggled and slapped him on the arm playfully. The posse also got to hear the story. Fujin and Raijin were interested in hearing my memories and all three of them confessed they weren't surprised that Irvine was on my mind. I gotta be less predictable. 

I got to my "cell" and related the story to Nida. I hardly got finished with it when swarms of SeeDs formed lines at our tables. I was a bit confused but when they put down money I understood what was going on. Nida stared at the SeeDs at his table, as if trying to figure out if they were really there. Students that weren't SeeDs yet were also buying tickets. We were both so surprised that we moved in a trancelike state. I sold the last of my roll in about five minutes and Nida got rid of his about a minute later. Those that didn't get tickets left in search of other people on the committee. All of this happened in the span of ten minutes. Nida and I sat there, still dazed over what had happened.

"I have no more tickets," said Nida, as if he couldn't believe it. He stared at his empty hands.

"Neither do I." I knew that they would all wait until the last minute to buy their tickets. Bums. "I guess we'd better put these tables away." We folded our tables up; Nida picked his up easily, me having a little more trouble. We returned them to where we had borrowed them from. We came back to the center of the Garden and glanced around the deserted area. I still couldn't believe what had just happened. 

"So, what shall we do now?" asked Nida. 

"I donno," I shrugged. Zell suddenly skidded by, nearly crashing into a wall. 

"Did I miss it?" he asked breathlessly.

"Miss what?" I frowned.

"The tickets! Are there any more left?" Nida and I both held out our empty hands.

"Sorry, Zell. We sold all of ours," apologized Nida. "Perhaps another committee member will have some."

"Okay, thanks!" I grabbed the back of his jacket before he could take off. He squirmed restlessly, trying to shake me off. Despite his strength, I was able to keep my hold on him. "Aack! Selphie, you're chocking me!"

"I just want to make sure once and for all that you're not mad at me for going with Irvine."

"I told you I wasn't! You can go with whoever the hell you wanna. I still got a dance with you; don't forget! Now, _please_ let me go!" I obeyed, giggling playfully. "See you in class, Selphie!" He ran off.

"Zell is a very strange person," observed Nida.

"You just now noticed?" I asked. He rolled his eyes. I slapped his arm a little too hard. "I was just kidding, Nida!"

_____

It had been so long since I had been with Quistis and Rinoa. I mean for long increments of time, of course. The last time I saw either of them, I was asking for their advice concerning Irvine. I wanted to have a girl's night out, with no guys to distract us. I went to Rinoa's room first, since she usually had a date with Squall or something to tie her up. I listened closely before I knocked on her door. I didn't hear anything out of the ordinary, so I rapped my knuckles on the door.

"Come in!" Rinoa invited. I did exactly that. "Oh, Selphie. What a nice surprise!" She gave me a friendly hug. "What brings you here?"

"I want to go out and do something," I answered. "A girl's night out." Rinoa's bright face suddenly dulled.

"I can't today. Squall and I planned to…" I held up my hand before she could finish.

"No need to tell me your plans. I figured you'd be busy with Squall. Thanks anyway." I next went to find Quistis. Normally her nights were free, unless she was taking a student on a field exam or something. I knocked on her door and entered when I was invited to. Quistis was sitting at her desk grading papers. She didn't even look up. She didn't need to; she knew it was me.

"Sorry, Selphie, but I'm very busy. Whatever it is, please make it quick." I tried to think of something to say.

"You're still going with Nida to the Festival, right?"

"Of course I am."

"Good. Just checking." I exited her room, gently closing the door behind me. _I guess we'll have to have our girl's night out later,_ I thought. The main reason I wanted to have a night with my girlfriends was so they could get to know Fujin better. Thinking of Fujin made me wonder what she was up to. She had no responsibilities, no boyfriends, nothing to keep her from going wherever she wanted to. At least she and I could hang out together.

I looked all over the Garden for her. She wasn't in the training room or the cafeteria, I couldn't find her in the Quad, the garage had only a few parking attendants occupying it, and I had no idea where her room was. The ballroom was still marked off with crepe paper; she had no reason to go in there. I next tried the library. There she was, sitting at a table with Jacob. I was a little surprised to find her there. Not that I thought she didn't like libraries. I just figured she never went in one because of her normal speaking voice. They both looked up when they heard me walk up and pointed to an empty chair.

"Hello, Selphina," greeted Jacob in a whisper.

"Hello, Jacob," I returned. Fujin glanced at both of us in confusion.

"SELPHINA? EXPLAIN," she insisted. Her voice was a little louder than what was tolerated in the library. Nonetheless, no one scolded her.

"When Jacob and I first met, we of course introduced ourselves. My full name is Selphina, and his full name is Jacob. We thought it funny that we both have nicknames, so we call each other by our full names as an inside joke," I explained. _He's the first person to call me by my full name since I first came to Matron's orphanage,_ I realized. It didn't bother me anymore. 

"SELPHIE BETTER NAME," Fujin noted. She smiled at Jacob. "JAKE BETTER NAME." His cheeks turned bright red. I tilted my head to one side.

"What're you doing here, Fujin?"

"LEARNING," she answered.

"Learning what?"

"READ." That certainly caught my attention.

"I never knew you were illiterate!" Fujin tapped her black patch with her finger.

"ONE EYE," she explained. "NEVER TRIED." She smiled and patted Jacob's arm. "GOOD TEACHER. LEARN A LOT." This only made Jacob blush more.

"So how did you guys meet?" I wondered.

"It's kind of funny," Jacob chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"FUNNY?" Fujin repeated, sounding offended. Jacob grinned nervously and shrugged his shoulders. "SORRY. CONTINUE."

"I saw her roaming the halls. I knew a little bit about her, but she didn't seem so bad. So I said hi." He glanced at Fujin to see if she wanted to finish the story. She shook her head and urged him to continue. "She said hi back and we started talking a little. I told her my name and we found out we were both friends with you. She said that your friends were trustworthy people, and that's when she asked me if I could teach her how to read."

"SHORT VERSION," Fujin chuckled. Jacob shrugged his shoulders.

"That's what happened."

"Well, I'm just glad that Fujin made such a good choice in a friend," I smiled. This time it was Fujin that blushed. The color added to her cheeks made her look a little less like a ghost. "I was hoping to have a girl's night out, but I guess you're fine here." Fujin smiled and winked with her good eye.

"LIKE TO LEARN. JAKE GOOD TEACHER." I pouted and crossed my arms.

"All my girlfriends are busy! Who am I supposed to hang out with?"

"IRVINE," Fujin answered. Now it was me that was blushing. "LIKES YOU."

"Oh, well, since you put it that way…" I giggled and got to my feet. "You two better behave while I'm away." Jacob chuckled and held up his right hand.

"I promise to be good." Fujin also assured me she would behave herself. I thanked them and went in search of Irvine.

_____

I found Irvine in his room playing a game of "Zell's Chess" with Zell. This version of chess was a bit different from regular chess, because Zell made up the rules, thus the name "Zell's Chess". The pawns were the only pieces that moved the traditional number of spaces. Every other piece was controlled by a pair of dice. Whoever was making the move had to roll the dice and move their piece the number of spaces the dice indicated. Some rules stayed the same, however: the castle could only move horizontally or vertically; the knight had to make an L shape; the bishop had to go diagonally, and so on.

"Bye bye, Knight!" Zell laughed as his bishop took out one of Irvine's knights. I cleared my throat loudly. The boys glanced up at me and they both broke into grins. "Hey, Selphie! You wanna play?"

"Our game ain't over yet, Zell!" Irvine reminded him. He rolled the dice. "Damn! Snake-eyes _again_! Zell, did you fix the dice again?" Zell grinned innocently.

"Now why would you think that?" he asked. I chuckled. The one thing that remained constant with Zell was that he could make me laugh. Okay, he isn't very funny when he's mad, but other than _that_, he can always make me laugh.

"What're you up to, dahlin'?" Irvine wondered.

"Nothing much. I wanted to go somewhere with my girlfriends, but they were all busy. Do either of you want to do something?"

"I'm doin' somethin' right now! I'm kickin' Irvine's ass!" Zell declared. He picked off another of Irvine's chessmen. 

"I don't know why I play this with you. You always win," Irvine complained. He glanced up at me. "I'm free for tonight. Anything in particular you want to do?" My mind went blank. I tried to form words but nothing came out.

"Just walk, I guess," I managed. 

"Checkmate!" Zell shouted. "I win!"

"Big surprise," Irvine groaned, rolling his eyes. He stood up and offered me his arm. "Would you like to go for a walk with me?" I smiled and slipped my hand through his elbow.

"Thank you, I would."

"Hey! What about me?" Zell demanded.

"You can go for a walk too if you want," Irvine shrugged. He laughed at his own joke and the two of us went on our way. It was getting darker outside but there were still many students roaming about. According to my watch, we had three hours before curfew. Three hours was a long time. Irvine led the way; I allowed him to take me wherever he wanted to go. We walked into the garage. The parking attendants had all left but someone forgot to lock the door. There was a door in the back of the garage that would take us outside the school. This was the door that students used if they wanted to skip class. I was sure Irvine had learned about it from Zell.

Outside dusk was beginning to settle. The back of the school was overgrown with plants and weeds alike because the caretaker rarely went back there. We had nothing to fear from monsters we might encounter; they knew better than to attack anyone from the Garden. The clouds were starting to look ominous. Several of our brightest stars were beginning to appear in the darkening sky. I remembered that, in our youth, Irvine and I would sit outside and make up names for the constellations. Zell would sometimes join us, but he could only sit still long enough to name one constellation before he was back to bouncing around, demanding that someone play with him.

"We're going to have to thank Mr. Dincht for showing you this place," I noted.

"Zell knows all the ways of gettin' outta here," Irvine agreed. "But I didn't bring you out here to talk about him." I waited anxiously for him to continue. "I'm glad that you an' I are goin' to the Festival together. After that guilt thing Zell threw on you, I was sure you'd go with him."

"I was actually going to go with Seifer." I looked to see his reaction. His face showed curiosity.

"What changed your mind?"

"Well…" I blushed. "I just decided I wanted to go with you." 

"I'm glad you did." I was sure my cheeks were the same color as an apple. I cooled myself down by rubbing my cheek on his arm. Along with his pine trees scent, I could smell a very distinct rain smell.

"It's going to rain soon. Maybe we should go in."

"All right." We went back inside and closed the door behind us. The lights had dimmed and I could hear a parking attendant shuffling around. They were going to close down the garage soon. We quietly exited the garage before we were locked in. Irvine guided me to my room. It was very quiet in the Garden and we didn't run into anybody. I could hear rain pattering above us.

"Looks like we came in just in time," I noted. I gave Irvine a hug. "Thanks a lot for walking with me. I'll see you tomorrow." Irvine held onto my arm.

"Uh, Selphie?" He paused and for a moment I thought he was going to say something. I glanced at him expectantly. He shook his head. "See you tomorrow."

"Okay." I kissed him on the cheek and went in my room. Oonagh was waiting for me; she looked so excited that I knew something good had happened.

"Where've you been, Miss Petite?"

"I went walking with Irvine," I answered casually. Her eyes bugged out.

"You and Irvine went on a date?" 

"No! We just went on a walk." _That's not a date, is it? What if it is? Does that make me Irvine's girlfriend? Oh, wow. Irvine's girlfriend. That has a nice ring to it._

"Walter asked me on a date, too," announced Oonagh proudly. Now it was my turn to be surprised. "I'm so excited, Miss Petite, but I'm scared too. I don't know what to do or what to say or anything. What if I make a complete fool of myself?" She wrung her hands worriedly. "I've never been on a _real_ date before. Zell and I hung out a lot when I still liked him, but we never really went on an actual _date_. What am I supposed to do?" _This is so cool! Oonagh's going on a date with the man of her dreams!_ I thought. She looked a little stressed, so I put my hand on her shoulder.

"Calm down," I soothed. "You know he'll like you as long as you be yourself. When is your date?" 

"Tomorrow." I made a face. That was a little too soon for my taste.

"Oh, wow. Well, you've gotta fill me in on everything."

"Okay." She paused and calmed herself down. "Do you really think he'll like me?" I laughed and patted her on the back.

"Oongah, I _know_ he'll like you." 


	13. Slow Down

13: Slow Down

So much to do, so little time! The day of the Festival is getting closer and I've got a lot to do to prepare. The final touches on the ballroom decorations have to be ready and Nida and I have to start taking down the posters we had put up. And there's a whole lot of other stuff I have to do in between that. I haven't given myself a good workout in such a long time, so I had to make a trip to the training room as soon as I had the time. I had a whole lot of homework to catch up on. There were places to go, people to see, and I wanted to make sure Oonagh was ready for her date with Walter Oren.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Yikes! I was running late already. I shoved the rest of the toast I was eating into my mouth and took off to my first class. It was actually a little late to be eating breakfast, but I slept in, as usual. I took the elevator up to my class and went running down the hall. Suddenly my foot slipped and I fell flat on my butt. That _really_ hurt. I continued to skid until I ran into a wall. I instinctively put my left foot in front to stop myself from crashing into it. It contacted with the wall, my bodyweight bearing down on it. Pain shot through my whole leg. Once I could think again I scolded myself for being so careless as to not notice the "Caution: Wet Floor" sign. I got up and tried to walk but in a few steps I slipped and fell again, this time face-first. I had enough sense to twist my head so my cheek would smack on the floor instead of my nose. Not that it hurt any less. I lay there for a few minutes, wondering if it was even worth going to class now. _Today just isn't a good day for me._

"Did you fall asleep on the ground, Selphie?" Strong arms helped me into a sitting position. I smiled at Raijin.

"No. I fell down."

"Can you get back up?" he asked. I tried but found that I had done something to my ankle. I cringed in pain.

"I think I broke my left ankle."

"Okay. I'll help, ya know?" he offered. I put my arm around his shoulders and together we walked down to the infirmary. Actually, _he_ walked while I sort of hopped. We must have been a very odd-looking duo, because we attracted many strange looks. At last we came to the infirmary. Raijin directed me to one of the beds and waited until the doctor came by. Dr. Kadowaki walked in and shook her head.

"Dare I ask, Selphie?"

"I slipped and fell. I think I broke my left ankle," I explained. I propped both legs onto the bed so she could have a better look. She prodded my left ankle with her fingers.

"Does it hurt?"

"It hurts a lot, especially when I put weight on it." She continued to poke at it with her funny little instruments. Raijin watched her curiously. 

"What's that thing do?" he would ask when she picked something up. At first she tried answering him, but he gave her a blank stare every time. After a while of this she decided it was best not to say anything and continue with her job.

"It's not shattered to pieces, that's for certain. I'll put ice on it until the swelling goes down. Then I'll wrap it up. You should stay off it for a day at least, maybe more." I wanted to scream. _A day, maybe more? What if it doesn't heal in time for the Festival? I'll miss another dance!_ I didn't want that to happen.

"Doctor, is there any way I can heal in time for the Festival?" 

"As long as you don't subject yourself to anymore punishment, I think you'll be all right," she nodded. She produced a bag of ice and set it on my left ankle. The sudden chill felt nice on my throbbing ankle. "I don't want you going anywhere today. Understand?" I pouted.

"But I've got a lot of stuff to do, doc! What about the Festival?"

"I think Nida can take care of things for at least a day." I frowned. If I hadn't have been so careless, I wouldn't have slipped and hurt myself. It wasn't just the Festival I was concerned about; I had promised Oonagh I would help her get ready for her date. _Oonagh! Oh, man, how'm I going to help her like this?_ I couldn't back down on my word! I squirmed restlessly.

"Doc, I _have_ to be allowed to leave at five o'clock!"

"Why's that?"

"I promised a friend I'd help her do something." 

"I'm sorry, Selphie, but doctor's orders." I groaned audibly. All I could do now was turn to Raijin for help.

"Will you do something for me?"

"Sure thing, ya know?" he nodded.

"Go and get my friend Oonagh. You know who that is?" Raijin thought for a while.

"She's the one that used to like Zell, right?" I nodded my head. "I see her go into the library a lot, ya know? I'll go see if she's there. I'll be back with her soon, ya know?" He waved and left the infirmary. I sighed and arranged the bag of ice on my foot. In a few more minutes my ankle would begin to feel numb. My ankle was numbing when Raijin returned with Oonagh in tow. She gasped when she saw me and ran to my side.

"Miss Petite, what happened to you? Are you hurt?"

"I slipped and hurt my ankle," I told her. "Dr. Kadowaki won't let me go anywhere today. That means I can't help you get ready for your date." She smiled; she looked more concerned about me than about her date.

"That's all right. I can understand. I'll come by so you can make sure I'm dressed properly. Is that all right with you?" I nodded eagerly. I was struck by a great idea.

"You could ask Quistis for her help. She knows what's fashionable."

"Really?" Oonagh awed. "I would've thought it was Rinoa that knew more about fashions."

"They both know a lot," I agreed. "Either one of them could help you." She thanked me and politely left the room. Raijin continued to hover over me. "You don't have to stay here if you don't want to."

"I don't want to leave you by yourself, ya know?" Raijin frowned. "Besides, it's not like I have anything _else_ to do, ya know?" What a great friend he was. He brought a chair up and took a seat. The only thing that could make this better would be if Irvine popped in. Someone burst in, but it wasn't Irvine. It was Zell; his black eye was starting to heal. He didn't look like he was hurt. I wondered what he was doing here. He spotted me and his eyes bugged out.

"What happened to _you_?" he asked.

"I fell down and hurt my ankle," I answered. 

"Bummer."

"What about you?" I demanded. "Why are _you_ here? You don't look hurt." He grinned sheepishly.

"I'm not. Doc Kadowaki wanted me to come in so she can make sure my black eye's healing up all right." 

"You remind me of Fujin, ya know?" Raijin noted. "With the one eye and all." I tilted my head to one side and observed Zell. He did _sort_ of remind me of Fujin. It was mostly because of his black eye. Zell eyed Raijin quizzically. "I'm not sayin' you look that much like her, ya know? You just remind me of her, ya know? 'Cause one of your eyes looks like it's got a patch on it."

"Whatever," Zell huffed.

"Oh, Squall, I didn't know you were here," I joked. Zell glared at me but couldn't stop himself from grinning. Dr. Kadowaki came in.

"Oh, Zell, I didn't know you were here." Raijin, Zell, and I died laughing. Zell fell on the ground, he was laughing so hard. Tears ran down my smiling cheeks. Dr. Kadowaki observed us, perplexed by our strange behavior. "What in Hyne's name is wrong with you three?" I tried to control my giggles long enough to speak.

"It's… haha… nothing, haha. We're all just… haha… really hyper." I burst into another fit of giggles and could speak no more. Dr. Kadowaki shook her head. She turned her attention over to Zell, who was still on the ground.

"Get up so I can see your eye." He obeyed, his whole body shaking with mirth. It took the good doctor only a moment to examine his healing eye. "Good. The mark will be gone in a few more days. Just in time for the Festival."

"That's… haha… great, doc," Zell chuckled. She smiled at us and shook her head. Once she left the room we started laughing louder. "What… haha… are we laughing about, again, hahaha?" This only made us laugh louder.

"Did you… haha… forget so soon… haha…?" I paused. I was laughing so hard I couldn't finish my sentence. "_Squall_?" I blurted, sending the three of us into fits of laughter.

"Whatever," Zell managed in between guffaws. It wasn't like we were making fun of Squall or anything. We just couldn't stop laughing. If Quistis came in and asked us a completely normal question, we probably would've started cracking up. I was laughing so hard I found it hard to breathe. I didn't care, though. It was so much fun to laugh with my friends.

_____

My left ankle had been wrapped in soft bandages to help it heal. My watch told me that only ten minutes remained before Oonagh was to go on her date with Walter Oren. My cheeks still felt stretched after all that laughing myself, Raijin, and Zell had done. I just can't imagine how Zell can keep that grin on his face all day long. I could tell that Zell didn't hate Raijin as much anymore. That made me very happy. Now if only he could learn to accept Fujin and Seifer, however unlikely that may be. I had finally convinced Raijin I was fine by myself. He and Zell went off to have a hotdog eating contest or something like that but promised to check up on me. The door to the infirmary opened. If it was Zell or Raijin, I would've burst out laughing. 

"Miss Petite?" There was only one person I knew who called me that.

"I'm here, Oonagh." She entered, and I sucked in a breath. She wore a white dress that cut off a few inches below her knees. The dress was close-fitting like the yellow one I wore all the time. Its shoulder straps were silver and about as thick as my index finger. Her hair had been teased into ripples that shimmered on her head, coming to a stop just below her chin. Thick curls framed her face. Her neck was bare and she wore pearl earrings. Her black high heels had been buffed and her bare arms hung gracefully at her side. My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Do I look all right?" she asked, turning around for my inspection.

"All _right_?" I repeated. "Poor Walter's going to have a heart attack! You look great!" She smiled, blushing modestly. "Who did your hair?"

"Rinoa. She said she might do the same thing for the Festival. Quistis picked out my dress, believe it or not." I believed it, all right, but I wondered what Quistis was thinking. Walter was a courteous guy, but even _he_ would have a hard time keeping his hands off Oonagh while she was wearing that dress.

"You look really great. Remember, I want a full report when you get back," I instructed. "Now go and have a good time."

"Thank you, Miss Petite. Thank you for everything." She gave me a smart salute and exited the infirmary. I was happy for her, but I couldn't help wishing that Irvine would ask me out on a date. I contented myself with waiting for her to come back and tell me everything that happened.

_____

I waited.

And waited.

And waited.

It was past curfew and still she didn't show up. _What could've happened to her? She would never break a promise unless there was a good reason for it._ I sighed and crawled under the covers. Hurt ankle or not, I was going to find out what had kept her first thing in the morning. _I hope everything went okay…_


	14. New Problems

14: New Problems

Of course I was worried sick about Oonagh. The very next morning I got up and escaped from the infirmary. My foot had completely healed itself overnight. I guess I only sprained it or something. I didn't run or anything; I had learned my lesson. I went to our dorm and pounded on the door. I probably woke up everyone around me but I didn't care. I shouted Oonagh's name until the door opened. There she was, still in her dress. She gasped and threw her arms around me.

"Miss Petite! What in the world are you doing here? You should be in bed!"

"My foot's fine!" I assured her. "I must've only sprained it or something. I came here because I was worried about you. You never showed up to tell me how the date went!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" she cried. "I must have forgotten!"

"There's a first time for everything," I smiled. "Besides, you were on a date with the man of your dreams. I can understand." She blushed profusely. "But you have to make it up to me by telling me what happened."

"Of course," she agreed. "Please come in." I entered our dorm and took a seat at a little table where Oonagh read or did her homework. I usually used it as a napping table. "I don't mean to be rude, but you're up awfully early this morning, Miss Petite." I hadn't thought about the time. I checked my watch.

8:03 AM

"Wow," I awed. "I almost woke up on time today." I giggled and tapped my watch. "Only three minutes late. I didn't really think of the time. I couldn't get any sleep; I was so worried about you."

"I never meant to make you worry about me. I'm sorry." I slapped my palm on the table in pseudo-annoyance.

"Quit apologizing and get to the story!" She smiled fondly and gladly complied to my demands. I had this feeling that she had wanted to tell me the second I had made my presence known, but she was much too polite to do so. She allowed for a moment of silence before she began relating the events of the night before:

*

After I spoke with you, I went back to our dormitory. I trusted your judgment, but I couldn't resist giving myself one last check before the date began. My dress was a bit tighter than I would like but otherwise I was presentable. My insides churned with nervousness. I smoothed out the wrinkles of my dress and walked out of the dorm area as calmly as I could. I feared that I would collapse or trip and make a complete fool of myself. Luckily I didn't klutz out and I made it out of the dorm area with my dignity.

I actually saw Walter before he saw me. He nearly took my breath away. He was wearing a black collar shirt and tan khaki pants. His black hair was slicked back and I could almost smell the cologne he was wearing. I lost all sense of myself. My legs refused to move; all I could do was stand there helplessly and stare at him. My knees trembled underneath me, threatening to send me to the ground. His gray eyes landed on me and his handsome face turned a red hue. We stared at each other for the longest time. He, too, seemed to be transfixed. At last his legs obeyed him and he walked towards me. He was hiding something behind his back.

"Oonagh, you look absolutely breathtaking," he greeted. He brought a bouquet of violets from behind his back and held them towards me. Violets are, as you know, my favorite type of flower. I was so overcome that I couldn't remember if I had told him this preference or not. "I, ah, brought you these, but they seemed to have wilted." I reached for them and saw they were very much alive.

"What do you mean? They look fine to me."

"They were beautiful, until your radiance dwindled them," he stated. He said this without the slightest bit of embarrassment. 

"I'll put these in my room," I said, turning to go.

"Wait!" His face had a look of anguish. "Are you leaving me so soon?" 

"I must put these flowers in water before they die," I told him. He seemed reluctant to let me leave but at last allowed me to vacate the area. I went back to our dorm, filled a vase with water, and put the violets in the vase. I set that in my room and quickly returned to Walter. He was overjoyed at my return and held out his elbow to receive me. 

"Shall we be off?" he asked. 

"Very well." I slipped my arm through his and together we walked through the empty Garden. No words passed between us but there was no need for verbal communication. We continued to travel until we came to the cafeteria. This place you may think very unromantic, but at the nearest table was set a candlelit dinner for two. The night lights had been dimmed so that the candles gave off most of the light in the room. Walter guided me to my chair and pulled the seat out so that I could sit down. He scooted me in and took a seat himself.

"Is this… I mean, are you liking this?" he asked eagerly. There was something in his eagerness that reminded me of Zell. Oh, did I ever tell you…..? Never mind. That's a different story. Let me finish this one first.

"Yes, thank you," I answered. "Did you do all of this yourself?"

"Only the best for you," he nodded. He picked up his glass. I followed suit, very much relieved that we were to drink cool water. "To us."

"To us," I repeated, and our glasses clicked together in the toast. To us. Do you know how wonderful that sounded in my ears? He and I began to eat the meal before us. Oh, Miss Petite, he had prepared all of my favorite things! There was grilled shrimp and a bread roll with just the right amount of butter on it. There was also a side of green beans and for dessert, a slice of chocolate cake. It was perhaps the best meal I had in my entire life, and I made sure to tell Walter so. 

"Only the best," he repeated, smiling at me. We took a walk around the entire Garden. Again there were no words passed between us, but I didn't mind. I was happy simply being with him. The evening unfortunately had to conclude. Walter brought me to the door of my room. I was reluctant to leave so soon and he apparently shared the same sentiment. He held me in his arms, his beautiful gray orbs gazing at me with affection. To my great surprise he drew close to me and kissed me on the lips. I had never been kissed before in my entire life. It was indescribable. A great warmth passed through me and I felt so happy and safe that I never wanted it to end. But it did.

"Walter," I whispered, rubbing my nose on his cheek. It no longer seemed strange for me to call him by his first name. He pulled away and stared at me as if he couldn't quite believe what he had just done. He wasn't more than a few inches away and already I was starting to miss the warmth of his body. As if he too felt lonely for me, he drew me close to him once again. Our lips met and this time I tried to hold the embrace as long as I could. My common sense cruelly took over and forced me to break away. It was now my turn to tear away from him. He gave me an inquisitive glance. "Forgive me, but I must retire," I said breathlessly.

"Very well. Sweet dreams, sweetest Oonagh." He turned and walked to his own room, turning back to observe me now and again. I waited until he was out of sight before I went into the room. I kicked off my shoes and fell into bed. I didn't know whether to laugh or sing or dance. My happiness was too great to express. I began to feel giggles wanting to escape. I sunk onto my bed and buried my face in the sheets so the laughter would be muffled. After a while I fell asleep.

*

Throughout Oonagh's narrative I listened politely and didn't interrupt her once. That's really something for me! I could understand now why she hadn't told me about this earlier. I reasoned that I would've done the exact same thing as her if Irvine and I had a date like that. Of course Irvine and I would _never_ have a date like that, and that was a good thing. I'd rather have fun with him than a candlelit dinner. He probably wasn't a good cook, either.

"He _kissed_ you?" I shrieked. "_Twice_?"

"Yes."

"Wow! I never knew he had it in him!" I grinned playfully. "Walter's a nice guy for you. Do I get to dance with him at the Festival?" Oonagh pretended to give the prospect a great deal of consideration.

"I suppose that would be all right, as long as I get to dance with Irvine."

"Sure, no prob!" I hopped to my feet. "Well, thanks for telling me. I'm glad you two had a good time."

"Yes, so am I."

"_Speaking_ of the Festival…," I began thoughtfully. "I'm going to check out my closet. It's been so long since I've had to wear anything other than my SeeD uniform that I'm not even sure if I own any other clothes!" Oonagh chuckled and slipped into her room to change into her school uniform.

"You have that yellow dress, remember?"

"Yeah, but that's not something you wear to a dance!" I retorted. I opened my closet and began picking out all my clothes in search of a good dress. I could hear Oonagh getting dressed. I wondered if she would wear that white dress to the Festival. It reminded me of the one Rinoa was wearing when she first came to the Garden. Only Oonagh's had silver straps, and it was white. As I shifted through my dresses I began to panic. I couldn't wear any of these to the Festival! Most of them were every day sort of dresses. 

"Have you found anything good, Miss Petite?" Oonagh asked, stepping into my private room. I flung the last article of clothing out of my closet in exasperation. None of those would do for a Festival dress. I glared at my selection angrily.

"I need a new dress!" I declared.

"Sounds like a shopping spree is in order," Oonagh smiled. So I would get my girl's night out after all. How convenient. With help from my friends, I would be dancing in style. _Wait a second. Dancing… Oh, crap._

"AAAH! Oh, no!" 

"What's wrong now?" Oonagh frowned.

"I just realized something!" I paused, my face scrunched up in sorrow. "I don't know how to dance!" Oonagh chuckled politely.

"I don't mean to laugh, Miss Petite, but it's kind of funny. Squall doesn't know how to dance, either. It's not a big deal."

"It's a big deal with me because me and Nida are going to do a solo dance with our partners!" I told her. "We had it all planned out."

"But if you don't know how to dance, why did you…?"

"I didn't think!" I cried. "And now I'm going to humiliate myself in front of the whole Garden!" I had been so happy and now I was miserable. _All those dances I promised people. I'm going to make such a fool out of myself._ Oonagh quietly pondered my predicament.

"I can't think in this confined space. Let's go in the cafeteria." I agreed and we set out to the eating area. Oonagh paused at one of the tables, probably the one she and Walter had eaten at the night before. She ran her fingers over the table with a smile on her lips. We ordered breakfast and took a seat. I just couldn't eat. I put my head on the table. I felt like I was going to cry. "Cheer up, Miss Petite. I know how to dance, so maybe…" She trailed off; I wondered what had distracted her.

"What's wrong now, Selphie?" Zell's familiar voice broke through my thoughts. I put my head up and smiled sadly at the jovial fighter.

"I'm going to make an idiot out of myself at the Festival."

"How come?" he asked.

"Because I don't know how to dance." There was a slight pause as he absorbed this information. His grin grew wider.

"I could teach you!" I gasped and leapt to my feet.

"Would you, Zell?" _Wait, I didn't know Zell knew how to dance…_

"Sure thing. I could even teach you this afternoon if you want."

"Sorry, girl's night out," Oonagh informed him. This didn't diminish the grin on his face. I wondered if his cheeks hurt him from all the grinning he did. _I guess Oonagh knew. Jeez, why doesn't anyone tell me anything?_

"Hey, Oonagh," he greeted softly. He turned his attention back over to me. "Okay. Tomorrow then. Is that fine with you, Selphie?"

"Sure, okay!" I nodded.

"Miss Petite, we'd best meet with the other girls to make sure they're free for tonight," Oonagh suggested.

"Okay," I nodded. I waved to Zell. "See you tomorrow!"

"Come after lunch. By then I'll have everything set up." I smiled and saluted.

"You got it." Oonagh and I made our way out of the cafeteria. 

"That Zell," Oonagh sighed, shaking her head. "He never changes."

"Yeah. That's what's so great about him!"


	15. Shopping

Warning: This chapter contains shopping, and lots of it. If you aren't all that interested in shopping or descriptions of dresses, this chapter is not for you.

15: Shopping

Funny how a few hours alone with a group of girls can really make you understand them better, or at least learn something about them you never knew before. Apparently Oonagh had organized the whole thing in advance, because all my other girlfriends acted as though they'd gone through a rehearsal of picking me up from my last class. Quistis was there to greet me, looking official in her instructor uniform. 

"What's up, Quistis?" I greeted cheerfully. She drew herself to her full height. I never noticed before how intimidating she looked that way.

"Selphina Tilmitt, you are hereby ordered to join myself and your companions on an excursion to the mall for the remainder of the afternoon." She looked so serious that I couldn't even laugh. I just stared at her. She put her hands at her side.

"You're serious?" I awed. She smiled and nodded her head. "Cool! So we're finally going to have our day out!"

"Please follow me." She turned on her heels and walked towards the Garden entrance.

"Yes, Instructor!" I sang, obediently walking behind her. Waiting for us at the entrance were Rinoa, Fujin, and Oonagh. They were all standing near Quistis' car. Rinoa and Oonagh greeted me with a friendly hug. Fujin offered me a smile and squeezed my hands. There was something about that simple gesture that made me feel lucky to be her close friend.

"JAKE WANTED TO COME," she said in her "normal" voice; she still didn't feel comfortable using her "other" voice around the others. "TOLD HIM GIRLS ONLY." Rinoa and Oonagh each took one of my arms and guided me to Quistis' car; I was too excited and confused to move.

"Shotgun!" shouted Rinoa suddenly. The others stared at her strangely. I pouted in mock disappointment.

"Hey, Rinoa! _I_ wanted shotgun!" Rinoa smiled mischievously.

"First come, first serve." Fujin opened the doors and we all got in, me more or less being pushed into position. Quistis took the driver's seat and Rinoa was shotgun. I sat between Fujin and Oonagh in the back. We all buckled our seatbelts and Quistis started the engine. I remembered the last time I was in a car with her. Hopefully this journey would be much more fun than that one had been.

"So where are we going?" I asked.

"A new store opened in Zell's hometown not too long ago," Quistis answered. "Rinoa and I've been wanting to go inside, and this is the perfect time to."

"They specialize in dresses," Rinoa added. We all called Balamb "Zell's hometown" because… well, it was Zell's hometown! 

"And why are _you_ here, Fujin?" I wondered, turning to the pale woman. She gave me one of her secret smiles. 

"BE FRIENDS WITH YOUR FRIENDS."

"Oh. That's exactly what the goal of my girl's night out was!" Fujin continued to smile. "You already get along with Oonagh, right?" 

"GOOD PERSON. EMPTIES LIBRARY." Interpretation: Oonagh got rid of curious gawkers that wanted to take a peek at Fujin while she was getting her reading lessons. Oonagh heard this compliment and blushed modestly.

"It's rude to stare," she said, as if that explained her actions. We had arrived in the town. Quistis pulled into the open garage and paid the gatekeeper. We got out and Quistis led the way to the new store. I hadn't been in the town for a while, but it mostly looked the same. We would have to visit Mrs. Dincht before we left. The new store Quistis was talking about was close to the dock. It had a single door and a window that allowed us a glimpse of the interior.

"Petites first," Oonagh said, poking me gently.

"I'm not _that_ short!" I protested. My friends laughed politely. I sighed and entered the store. There were lots of dresses in many different sizes. My eyes fell on a rack that was labeled "petites". A middle-aged woman was standing behind the counter. When we all were inside, she greeted us with a smile.

"Welcome, ladies. Please take your time." Rinoa was an expert in shopping. She pounced on the dresses and almost instantly found five or six she thought would look good on her. I was fairly experienced in shopping myself, but I was a bit pickier than she. Fujin stood stock-still, watching us silently with her eye.

"Is there anything the matter?" Oonagh asked. 

"DON'T SHOP," answered Fujin with a shrug.

"That's okay. That's why _we're_ here!" Rinoa smiled, grabbing another dress. "Quistis and I will find something that suits you."

"I thought we were just shopping for me," I frowned.

"Nonsense," Quistis chuckled. "When girls go shopping, they always have to buy something for themselves. You should know that." That's when I realized for the first time that Quistis was like me… well, a little bit like me, anyway.

"Excuse me, ma'am!" Rinoa called, her voice muffled from the dresses she carried. "Where's the changing room?"

"To your left," the woman answered. Rinoa turned to her left and tried getting in the room without dropping her armload. The rest of us followed, me barely able to control my giggles. 

"Okay, here's how we do this," Rinoa instructed. "We'll take turns trying on these dresses. Whichever one we all agree looks the best is going to be bought." That sounded good, especially with experts like Rinoa and Quistis as judges. We took seats and Rinoa went in with her many dresses.

"How many do you have?" I wondered, my voice tinkling with a suppressed giggle. There was a pause as Rinoa counted them.

"Eight." I about fell over in my chair.

"Hurry up, then. The rest of us would like to try on dresses," Quistis said in her usual bossy tone.

"Okay, okay." There was another pause. For a while all that could be heard was Rinoa getting dressed and the rest of us breathing. "Ladies, I present to you the first dress on the Rinoa Heartilly collection." The door opened and Rinoa stepped out, twirling around in her dress. She had on a black sleeveless dress with thick shoulder straps. I stuck my tongue out.

"Not you at all."

"TOO BLACK," Fujin added. Quistis and Oonagh confirmed their agreement. Rinoa sighed and went back in the room. I glanced at Fujin and thought about that black dress. _You know, she would look good in black. But not with those ugly straps._

"How about this?" This time Rinoa had on a blood-red dress. The dress had no sleeves _or_ straps and a dip in the neckline would tempt any men that would pass by. She turned around and showed us a bow, with a train trailing behind her. "The train makes it hard to walk in, but other than that it's easy to move around in." 

"If you wear that, poor Squall's going to have to fight off guys all night long," I noted.

"I think it's perfect," Quistis smiled. "Red and black really go together. All we have to do is fix your hair up a bit so it won't get in your eyes." Rinoa observed herself in a mirror. Her smile told us that she was definitely going to buy it. She changed one last time and came out with the dress cradled in the crook of her arm.

"There are still six others in there. Oonagh, you're about my size, aren't you? You should try them on." Oonagh meekly got to her feet and entered the dressing room. Rinoa paid for her dress and joined the "judges". We didn't have to wait long before Oonagh came out with her first dress. It was emerald green printed with flowers that were different shades of green. It was hard to judge. The neckline, which left her collarbone exposed, was decorated with cloth flowers, as was the hem of the skirt.

"It seems a little childish," Quistis mused, pursing her lips in thought.

"I think it's cute!" I chirped. "All it needs are flower earrings and a flower necklace. You would look so cute!" Rinoa studied Oonagh for a few moments.

"I agree with Selphie," she said at last. Oonagh looked to Fujin for her input, but the pale girl shook her head, silently reminding Oonagh of her inexperience in shopping. Oonagh sighed and went back to take the dress off. In a few moments she returned with the dress in tow.

"It _does_ look nice. True it may be childish, but I like it." With that said, she went to the counter to purchase the dress. It was now Quistis' turn to be judged. She couldn't use any of the dresses Rinoa had picked out because she was taller. She entered the room, clicking her tongue in disapproval.

"The least you could do is return these to their proper places, Rinoa." Rinoa groaned and obediently took the dresses back to where she found them. Suddenly one of them caught my eye and I took it from her. It was black like the first one she tried on, but a silky kind of black. I handed it to Fujin.

"That's for you. I want you to try it on when Quistis is done." Fujin took the dress silently. Quistis walked out to display her dress. It was a two-piece deal. She had on a white blouse with sleeves that came to her elbows and a red skirt. 

"Keep the blouse, lose the skirt," I advised.

"Agreed," Oonagh smiled. "Perhaps blue?" Rinoa joined us and made a face when she saw Quistis' ensemble.

"What're you trying to do, look like a business woman? No, dear. I think a _dress_ is the way to go for you." Rinoa was the ultimate authority when it came to outfits. Quistis sighed in exasperation and went back to try on something else. In a few moments she returned, this time definitely wearing a dress. The dress itself was yellow-green. It was cut just below the breast in a triangular shape, exposing a white skirt underneath. The sleeves were blue-green with white silk at the shoulder, elbow, and wrist. 

"Oh, _so_ cool!" I grinned, clapping my hands in delight.

"Much better," Rinoa smiled. 

"NICE," Fujin offered, speaking for the first time in a while. Quistis smiled modestly and got her regular clothes back on so she could pay for the dress.

"Miss Petite? It's your turn," Oonagh said, eyeing me significantly.

"Oh, okay." I gathered the few dresses I had liked and went into the changing room. I hung the dresses up and looked through them, trying to decide which one to try on first. I chose a sky-blue dress. Carefully I got out of my SeeD uniform and into the dress. I glanced at myself in the mirror. The neckline just barely exposed my collarbone. The sleeves were long and part of them extended to a few inches below my fingertips. The skirt was easy to move around in, but the hem reached my ankle bone. I liked it but I would have to see how the others reacted. I stepped outside.

"Perfect!" Rinoa exclaimed. Her mouth turned down a little. "That hair, though. Looks like we'll _both_ need a new hairdo."

"I think it's beautiful, Miss Petite," Oonagh smiled.

"LIKE IT," Fujin added. I curtseyed politely.

"Thank you for your input." I got back into my SeeD uniform and went to the counter. 

"Will this be all for you, ma'am?" This middle-aged woman was calling _me_ "ma'am"! It made me feel more grown-up.

"Yes, please."

"That'll be five thousand two hundred sixty Gil." I paid for the dress. The lady put it in a bag for me. I thanked her and joined my friends. Fujin wasn't in her seat, so I assumed she was trying on the dress I gave her.

"How much was yours, Selphie?" Quistis asked. I repeated the amount I had paid. "That's not too bad. Rinoa's was about the same price. Mine was over six thousand, but that was probably because it was fancier." Fujin appeared before us, looking very uncomfortable in her dress. It was strapless like Rinoa's, but it was much more modest. Instead of her front, it was her back that was partially exposed.

"You know what it needs?" Rinoa questioned. "Black gloves." I had to agree. Fujin looked pretty but the look wouldn't be complete without black gloves.

"I think I might have some that would work," Oonagh spoke up.

"BUY?" Fujin asked.

"Buy it!" I insisted. Fujin smiled and left our company so she could get into her comfortable clothes. She held the dress, still looking unsure.

"SURE?"

"Buy it!" Quistis ordered.

"BUT…"

"Buy it!!!" Rinoa and Oonagh shouted in unison. Fujin held up her hands in surrender. We all watched her to make sure she really bought it. She did buy it and we left the shop with our new dresses. There's something very triumphant about getting a dress that not only _looks_ good, but also agrees with the tastes of four other women. 

"Hey, let's go visit Mrs. Dincht before we go!" Rinoa suggested.

"That's what I was going to say!" I whined.

"That sounds like a good idea," Quistis nodded, ignoring my protest. "It's been a while since we've seen her." This time I took the lead and we all entered the Dincht residence. I could smell fish being cooked and I started to get hungry. Fujin was the only one that hadn't been inside Zell's house. She observed it with silent curiosity. Mrs. Dincht was busy in the kitchen.

"Zell? Is that you? About time you came in to see me!"

"Not Zell, Mrs. Dincht," Oonagh answered. 

"Oonagh? Who else is with you?"

"Me!" I sang. "Rinoa and Quistis too." Mrs. Dincht took the fish off the oven and came out to greet us. Even if Zell wasn't her biological son, he still was a lot like her. She first put her arms around Oonagh, then proceeded to hug me, Rinoa, and Quistis. She came to Fujin and patted her on the shoulder.

"It's always nice to get a visit from Zell's friends, but I don't think I know your name, dear."

"FUJIN. FUJIN YUN." I had never heard Fujin tell anyone her full name before. I always assumed she didn't have one.

"Nice to meet you. I was just making lunch. Do you girls want any?"

"Yes, thank you," answered Quistis politely.

"Sit down, then." We all took seats. Mrs. Dincht shuffled around the kitchen, bringing out plates and utensils for us. "I haven't gotten a letter from Zell lately. I hope he hasn't gotten into trouble again."

"Not anything serious," I smiled. Mrs. Dincht poured water for us. We began to eat the meal she had provided for us. She joined us momentarily. "Just out of curiosity, what did he say in his last letter?" 

"Oh, not much," she shrugged. "Just that you and Nida weren't having any luck selling tickets. Did you ever find a date for the Festival, dear?"

"I'm going with Irvine." _Zell won't even write to his mother? What's up with that?_

"How nice for you. He's such a nice boy."

"Anything else he said?"

"He mentioned that Seifer came back to the Garden."

"But that was, like, a week ago! He hasn't written to you since?" 

"That boy!" Mrs. Dincht sighed, impatiently clicking her tongue. "Doesn't write, doesn't visit. It's like he's miles away instead of a few minute's drive from here! Selphie, Oonagh? Will one of you be so kind as to tell him to get his lazy butt over here to see me?" Oonagh and I grinned.

"We will," Oonagh assured her.

"Thank you. By the way, dear, how have you been lately? Seeing anyone? I haven't seen you much since you stopped seeing Zell. Found anyone nice?"

"Yes, ma'am. A very nice man named Walter Oren. He's an instructor at the Garden." Mrs. Dincht smiled and patted Oonagh's hand.

"That sounds like the perfect man for you. I just hope my Zell finds someone he likes. Or at least someone who can handle him as well as you did." She turned her attention to Rinoa. "And how's Squall been treating you?"

"Very well, thank you. He and I are going to the Festival together."

"How about you, Quistis?"

"I agreed to go to the Festival with Nida, but…"

"That's wonderful, dear," Mrs. Dincht interrupted. But she did it in a way that didn't offend Quistis. "He seems like such a nice boy. It's too bad he's so shy. I would've thought that being around Selphie would cure him of it. You'll have a good time with him, I'm sure." Fujin tensed up. It was almost like she could sense that she would be questioned next. "I don't know you too well, dear, but I'm sure you're a nice girl. Are you going with anyone nice?"

"NOT DATING," Fujin answered with a weak smile. 

"I meant to the Festival, dear, of course."

"NO."

"No? Why not?"

"DON'T WANT TO." Mrs. Dincht shook her head sadly.

"You're going to break a lot of hearts some day, my dear." I giggled into my hand. Quistis absently glanced at her watch. She made a face.

"You'll excuse us, Mrs. Dincht, but we should return to the Garden. Thank you for the meal." We politely cleaned our plates and left the house as we found it. Mrs. Dincht saw us off. She waved cheerfully.

"Tell Zell to come see me soon, and tell him he'd better bring a girlfriend with him!" We assured her we would. "See you again, girls! Have fun at the Festival!" Her voice followed us to the car.

"I swear, Zell is so much like that woman it's scary!" Oonagh sighed.

"Well, where _else_ would he have gotten it from?" I giggled. 

"SHOTGUN," Fujin said. She smiled at our surprised faces. 

"Fujin, you are the very last person I'd expect to say something like that," I told her dumbly.

"I can surprise you," she answered in her "other" voice. Rinoa, Oonagh, and Quistis looked completely baffled. They stared at her as if trying to figure out if the sound had truly come from her. Still smiling, she quietly got into her claimed seat and folded her hands in front of her. It took the others a few seconds to get over their shock.

"That was… strange," Quistis noted.

"She trusts you now," I realized. 

"Cool," said Rinoa blankly. We all got into the car and Quistis drove off. Lots of things had happened, and lots of questions egged at me. One of them kept resurfacing, however: why didn't Zell come to see his mother? 


	16. Dance Teacher

16: Dance Teacher

To put it simply, I was excited. I never knew Zell knew how to dance and I was really looking forward to him teaching me. I knew it wouldn't do to go in with my SeeD uniform on. After all, this was a meeting of friends. I tried on every single one of my dresses (except the one I had bought for the Festival) and none of them seemed right for the occasion. I finally settled on a pair of dark blue pants and a black shirt that proudly proclaimed "Love Goddess" in glittery pink letters. I bought the shirt back when I was in Galbadia Garden and hadn't really had a chance to wear it. This was the perfect opportunity.

I came to Zell's room right at noon. Either I grew or the shirt shrunk, because part of my belly was exposed. I tugged the shirt down but it wouldn't stretch. _Oh, well._ I knocked on the door. There was a slight pause, then I heard someone shuffling towards the door. Something made a _thud_ on the ground and Zell's curses made their way to my ears. I giggled into my hand. _I wonder what he knocked over?_ I waited a few more seconds before the door was finally opened. Zell stood before me, breathless and looking more disheveled than usual. He wore blue shorts and a white shirt that warned "Don't bother me, I'm sleeping" in bold print. His hair was wild, jutting out in every direction.

"H'lo," he greeted.

"Did you just get up, Zell?"

"Uh… sort of," he answered, scratching the back of his head. I glanced around the room. He had knocked over the table on which he and Irvine played "Zell's Chess". The place otherwise looked fairly neat. Zell and Irvine individually didn't strike me as guys that could keep things neat; together, it was a shock that they kept their room livable. "Look, ah, I have a confession to make…"

"You don't know how to dance?" I asked. 

"No," he frowned. "My confession is that I haven't had time to get things arranged. So… would you, like, help me out? Move that table into my room." I obediently picked up the table and put it inside Zell's room. I glanced around the messy room, its untidy state confirming my belief that Zell was _not_ a neat-freak. I came back out into the main room. Zell was fiddling around with a stereo.

"Zell, where's Irvine?"

"I got rid of him." I waited for him to continue, but my wait was in vain.

"How?" I prodded. "What'd you do?"

"I told him me and my buddies were going to play poker. I convinced him to go to the training room for the next hour or so."

"_Poker_?" I repeated.

"Yeah. I get real rowdy when I'm playing poker." He finished with whatever he was doing and stood to his full height. He grinned broadly. "Love Goddess, eh? Says who?"

"Says me!" He chuckled. "So… what's the plan?"

"First off, I think you should know that I only know how to waltz. But at least it's dancing, right?"

"If that's the case, I hope for both our sakes that most of the songs are waltzes," I sighed.

"Okay, okay, so I don't know many dances. Gimme a break!" Zell cringed. I giggled; he had such a humorous expression on his face. He cleared his throat loudly. "_Any_way, the first thing about a waltz you should know is the steps." He went over to the stereo and pressed a button. A song kicked in. 

"Ooh, I know this one!" I declared excitedly. "They played it at our SeeD graduation."

"It's a waltz. It has three beats to it, and so does the dance. Now, pay attention." All of a sudden I felt like I was in a classroom. "Your right foot goes first. Right, left, right." He demonstrated by shuffling his feet sideways. "Then the left foot: left, right, left. It's pretty easy." I imitated the steps until I got comfortable with them.

"Now what?"

"Now we dance, of course." He looked so serious.

"Yes, Instructor!" I sang. He bowed to me and held out his hand.

"May I have this dance?" 

"Hmm, let me think here… sure!" I gave him my hand and together we danced to the music. At first I had to think to myself _right, left right. Left right, left_ so I wouldn't mess up. I got into it and soon I didn't even have to remind myself which foot to move next. We danced for… I honestly don't know how long. I spun out and he pulled me back in, holding my waist with one arm. He released me and I caught my breath. 

"So, ah… that's all there is to a waltz."

"Thank you, Zell. Now I'll be sure not to humiliate myself at the Festival." He grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

"It's no big deal." We awkwardly stood there staring at each other. I rocked on my heels. 

"Zell, who taught you how to dance?" 

"My ma, that's who!" he answered with a big grin on his face. Most guys would be embarrassed to admit something like that. Not Zell!

"Oh! You know something I've always wondered?"

"I use gel," he said. 

"What?" I tilted my head to one side and glanced at him quizzically. He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck.

"My hair. I use gel to keep it up."

"I never knew that! That _is_ something I've always wondered, but it wasn't what I was going to say." He turned red.

"Oh. So what was it?"

"I've always wondered: how did you and Irvine get to be roommates? I know why I'm still rooming with Oonagh, but I've always wondered about you two."

"Oh, that." He plunked down on a chair. "Well, it's kind of a long story."

"I don't mind!" I sat down next to him. "Our whole day is free!"

"Okay, it was like this…"

*

Irvine first joined up with us on that mission to assassinate the sorceress. I never did like that mission, right from the get-go. I mean, could we really kill a sorceress with a little gun? And then we found out Seifer was the sorceress knight. So it goes without saying that I was a little uneasy. What made it worse was that I was stuck with this _cowboy_ that I didn't even know. From the very moment I met him I didn't like him. I don't know why. There was just… something about him that set me off. Rinoa was with us too but at the time I didn't know _her_ all that well, so it was a bad situation all around.

"I guess if we've gotta travel together, we'd best get acquainted," Irvine said. I was still getting used to calling him by his name. He glanced over at me. "What's your name, partner?" _I ain't your "partner",_ I thought.

"Zell Dincht, man. Try and remember it for more than five minutes."

"How 'bout yours, little lady?" He turned to Rinoa.

"Rinoa," she answered simply. He took her hand and kissed it.

"Pleasure to meet you." I stuck my hands in my back pockets and started pacing back and forth. Irvine took his hat off and brushed his hair back. Guys with long hair… man, I just don't get it. He put his hat back on with the flick of his wrist. I kept right on pacing. He glared at me irritably. "Would ya stop pacin' around? You're makin' me edgy!" I stomped my foot on the ground and held up my fists.

"Make me, pretty boy!"

"What'd you call me?" He stretched up to his full height. Damn was he tall! "You wanna start somethin'?"

"You don't wanna mess with me, pal," I warned.

"Yeah? And what if I _do_?"

"Boys…," began Rinoa warningly. I laughed and patted Irvine on the shoulder. 

"Chill out, man. I was just kidding." Lucky for him that Rinoa was there, or I would've smacked him.

"So was I," he replied. Weird. That was the best way I could describe that first meeting. _Irvine Kinneas,_ I thought. _LOSER!_

*

"Stop!" I cried. 

"What?" Zell frowned.

"I know all about the sorceress assassination. I was _there_, remember?"

"Yeah, well, you weren't stuck with Irvine the first part of the trip," he grunted. "Not that you getting stuck with Squall was any better." 

"What's this got to do with anything, anyway?" I demanded hotly.

"Hold your horses and I'll get to it! Sheesh!" I ducked my head meekly and allowed him to continue.

*

Yeah, I'll just skip that first little encounter. I'll go right to when I "somehow" got the task of showing him around our Garden. Well, like I said, we didn't really hit it off well. And he was getting more annoying by the minute. The first place I took him to was the library. Not a very good choice. Oonagh was there looking something up. Now you gotta remember that this was back when I had a thing for her and she had a thing for me. So when she saw me she just about strangled me in a hug.

"Zell! It's so good to see you again!" She of course would never be so loud under any other circumstance, but I think I was rubbing off on her. I returned her hug awkwardly, _very_ conscious of the stares we were receiving. Irvine was watching us with a strange smile on his face. Oonagh pulled away, but not before giving me a kiss on the cheek. It's strange, but I can still remember the smell of the perfume she was wearing that day. She always put on perfume for me… Uh, where was I? Oh, yeah. So, anyway, Irvine was giving us this _look_.

"Who's the cutie, Zell?" Irvine asked. Oonagh straightened her skirt and curtseyed. 

"My name is Oonagh Reigmar." He grinned and took her hand in his. I didn't like the way he was looking at her at _all_.

"Irvine Kinneas at your service, and may I just say what a pleasure it is to meet such a lovely lady." Oonagh smiled. I think she sensed how mad I was getting, because she took her hand away pretty quickly. "I'm curious: why's a nice young lady like you hangin' onto a guy like Zell?"

"She's my girlfriend, man, and don't you forget it!" I snapped. Oonagh blushed when I mentioned "girlfriend" and I admit I flushed a little myself. You see, that was the first time I called her that out loud. Irvine was absolutely baffled.

"How the hell did you get a gal like her?"

"I don't think that's any of your business, you pimp!"

"WHAT?! Why, you stupid little ass-hole! I'm gonna tear your lungs out an' shove 'em up your nose!" Poor Oonagh was staring at us with wide eyes, looking completely confused.

"Hey, man, if you wanna piece of me you get it outside," I stated, jerking my thumb to the door. "No fighting in the library."

"Zell…" Oonagh's quiet voice broke through my rage. I turned to her, all anger forgotten.

"Yes?"

"Please don't fight. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Oh, all right." And just like that I backed out on a fight. You know, I don't think anyone could convince me out of a fight better than her.

*

"How come Oonagh never told me about this?" I fumed.

"Well, gee, I donno. Go ask her," Zell shrugged.

"And how come so far all you and Irvine do is argue with each other?"

"It's just easy to set us both off, that's all."

"No kidding," I snorted. "So, come on. Get to where you and Irvine are roommates!"

"All _right_ already!"

*

I guess I should've known trouble was brewing when I was asked to see the headmaster. But I didn't think anything of it, of course. I went up to the third floor and waited for the headmaster to see me. I gave him my very best salute.

"What's up?" I asked. 

"Zell, I called you here because there will be someone joining you in your room," he began. My jaw dropped to the ground.

"Say _what_?" He clasped his hands behind his back.

"I've been considering this for quite some time. I think it will be a good experience for the both of you."

"Well, who's my roommate?" Shouldn't have asked. But how was I to know?

"Irvine Kinneas."

"Say WHAT?" My jaw had crashed through the floor by now. "Headmaster, _please_ say you're joking!"

"No, Zell. I'm being perfectly serious."

"But… but… all we do is fight! He's a big pain in the… uh, butt."

*

"Zell, it amazes me how you're like Seifer sometimes," I giggled.

"I AM NOT!!!" Zell defended. "And stop interrupting me!"

"Okay, okay. Sor_ry_," I apologized, rolling my eyes.

*

"I have heard similar comments directed at you," said Headmaster Cid calmly. I tried to think of another protest, but he held up his hand. "I am also aware of the discord between the two of you. That is exactly why you're rooming together. I believe that in time the initial friction between you will disappear and you'll become friends."

"But…"

"Zell, I've made my decision. You and Irvine will be roommates from here on."

"Ah, _man_," I grumbled, shoving my hands into my pockets. Headmaster Cid was true to his word. Irvine and I became roommates that day, and roommates we still are.

*

"Are you done yet?" I wondered after a long pause.

"Yeah, I'm done."

"So that's how it all started, huh?" Zell nodded his head. "Well, Headmaster Cid was right: you two _did_ become friends. Except for that fight you guys were in. Hey, neither of you ever _did_ tell me what that was all about." Zell grinned sheepishly.

"Well, to make a long story short, it started out as an argument over socks and just went downhill from there."

"_Socks_?" I echoed.

"Yeah, socks. Well, it went on to other stuff, but it started out with socks." I just couldn't believe it. Squall's jaw was broken and Zell got a black eye because of _socks_? "I told you it was easy to set us both off!"

"Don't take this the wrong way, Zell, but sometimes you and Irvine can be _so weird_!" Zell just laughed.

_____

It was almost time for the Festival, and thanks to Zell, I had absolutely nothing to worry about.

Hey, I wonder if Seifer ever found a date?


	17. Excitement

17: Excitement

IT'S FINALLY THE NIGHT OF THE FESTIVAL!!!!! I'm so excited about it! This is… just so _cool_! Okay, okay, I'm calm now. All of my girlfriends gathered an hour before I was to go and greet everyone at the ballroom entrance. We put on our dresses first and then waited for our hair to get fixed. Of course Rinoa was the one in charge of _that_. She would start with Quistis, then Oonagh, then Fujin, and save me for last. I didn't mind. I busied myself with watching her fix up the other girls.

Rinoa hummed something familiar (I think it was "Eyes on Me") as she combed out Quistis' hair. Rinoa had her hair in curlers. She looked very strange that way. Oonagh was busy putting on makeup. Only myself and Fujin were unoccupied. The pale girl sat with her hands clasped in her lap, calmly waiting her turn to be fixed up. She was wearing Oonagh's black gloves with her black dress. She still had on that patch, but I didn't say anything about it. She could wear that if she wanted to. Besides, she would look strange without it. I hovered behind her and studied her figure.

"Fuj, there's something wrong."

"What?"

"You need a necklace," I decided. We were all in mine and Oonagh's dorm, so I only had a short distance to go to rummage through my jewelry. I found a silver necklace and came back. "Here," I said, handing her the necklace. "I want you to try this on." She obediently took it from me and put it around her neck.

"Is that better?" I tilted my head and gave her a critical look.

"I like it, but we'll have to ask Rinoa for her opinion." I went into Oonagh's room (the makeshift beauty parlor) to check on Rinoa's progress. She had pulled Quistis' two locks away from her face and allowed the rest of it to fall to Quistis' shoulders. Oonagh was now getting her hair fixed.

"Selphie, come here," Quistis requested. I drew closer. "Tell me the truth: does my hair look nice?"

"It's perfect, Quisty!" She smiled a little. "Hey, I just gave Fujin a necklace. Will you go look at it and see if it's all right? I would ask Rinoa, but she looks a little busy." Quistis sighed and got to her feet. "Thank you!" I hugged her tightly.

"Selphie…"

"Just so you know, I'm going to steal your date!"

"Please try and act ladylike." I curtseyed like a perfect lady. Quistis was smiling at me. "Besides, I was planning to steal your date as well." I stared at her in surprise. I got out of my shock and slapped her playfully on the shoulder.

"Quisty, you go, girl!" She blushed and shook her head to hide it. She cleared her throat and politely pushed me out of the way. I knew she was escaping the subject but I didn't mind very much. I took her seat and waited my turn.

"What are you up to, Miss Petite?" Oonagh demanded.

"Nothin'!" I insisted. 

"I'll be with you in a minute, Selphie," Rinoa assured me. Her nimble fingers went up to her own hair and took out the curlers. A few got tangled in her hair. "Help me out, someone!" Oonagh and I released the curlers from her hair, stifling our giggles. "Hey, quit laughing, you two!"

"Forgive me, Rinoa. I only act this way because of Selphie," Oonagh defended. I stuck my tongue out at her.

"You're such a traitor!" She winked at me.

"Selphie, sit down," Rinoa ordered, pointing to the chair before her.

"Am I done?" Oonagh asked. Rinoa had braided her hair in a single braid and tied a green ribbon at the end.

"You're done," Rinoa answered. I hopped down to the chair. I felt Rinoa brushing my hair. I have short hair, so it didn't take her long to brush it.

"What're you going to do?"

"Silly Selphie! I can't tell you that!" I was forced to wait for her to finish her work.

"Hey, wasn't Fujin supposed to go before me?"

"She didn't want me to do anything," Rinoa shrugged. Her hands were putting my hair up to the top of my head. Oonagh was watching the process.

"What's she doing, Oonagh?" I asked.

"You'll be fine. It looks great." 

"That's not what I asked!" She chuckled quietly. Rinoa patted me on the shoulders.

"You're done!"

"Woo-hoo!" I leapt up and rushed to the nearest mirror. All of my hair had been clumped on the top of my head. Pins held it in place. Having my hair away from my face gave me a whole new look. I barely recognized myself.

"See?" Oonagh whispered, resting her head on my shoulder. "I told you so."

"Yeah, yeah. What time is it?" I glanced at Oonagh's clock.

6: 45 PM

"Whoa! I've got fifteen minutes to finish getting ready! Quisty, you have to be ready too."

"I'm ready now," she stated. I gave her a skeptical look.

"I don't _think_ so! You're not going anywhere without putting on some makeup!"

"Oh, please, no!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" I nodded. "It'll just be lipstick, I promise."

"All right," she sighed. "But _just_ lipstick." I cheerfully applied the makeup and then started on myself. Rinoa also touched up her features. Fujin was the only one that looked the same.

"Come on, Fuj!" I urged. Her lips curled in a smile.

"Sorry, but I would rather stay the way I am."

"Fine, be that way." 

"Do I look okay?" Rinoa asked. A single lock of hair framed her face. The rest of it had been pulled back and held in place by a red clasp to match her dress.

"Definitely," Quistis nodded. Oonagh and I added our agreement. Fujin merely smiled. There was a knock at our door. We all froze.

"Answer it, Rinoa!" I hissed. She sighed and went to the door. There was a pause. Oonagh, Quistis, and I held our breaths. Fujin watched with a mixture of confusion and amusement on her face.

"It's just Squall, guys!" Rinoa assured us. We all poked our heads out. Indeed, Squall was standing in the doorway. He looked handsome in a way, I guess. He had on a black suit with a dark red tie. I had a feeling Rinoa had told him what color her dress was. He nodded to us, then eyed Rinoa curiously.

" 'Just Squall'?" She smiled sheepishly. He smiled too, a little. "Rinoa, you look beautiful."

"Why, thank you!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. _You know, Squall's changed a lot since he and Rinoa became a couple,_ I realized. _He would never have let anyone do that to him before._ He pushed her back and observed us.

"Instructor, nice to see you."

"Always a pleasure, Squall," Quistis replied. The corners of her lips were twitching.

"Uh… is that… Selphie with you?"

"Yep!" I chirped.

"And that other girl?"

"Oonagh," she answered. 

"Oh, yeah. Sorry."

"That's all right."

"Well, don't just sit there!" I shouted. "You two go on! Our dates will be here soon!" They gladly did as I bade them without a single word of protest. The rest of us tried to calm down from that "excitement". A few minutes passed by before another knock came to the door. "Answer it, Quistis!"

"Oh, for goodness sake!" She got up and went to the door. I couldn't help but take a peek. It was Walter. He, like Squall, had on a black suit. But he had a dark green shirt underneath, and was wearing a gold tie. He smiled and bowed to Quistis.

"Good evening, Instructor Trepe." Oonagh made a strange sound in her throat and grabbed my arm. She knew that voice.

"Good evening, Instructor Oren," she replied.

"Is… Oonagh here?"

"Walter!" I cried, running out and attacking him with a hug. He laughed and pushed me away. His gray eyes were shining.

"The voice and actions belong to Selphie, but I fear the face does not."

"Rinoa fixed up my hair," I told him. Oonagh came out of her room. Walter gathered her into his arms and gently kissed her forehead. I pushed past them to see if anyone else was out there. Nida was standing a ways from the door. He had on a light brown suit. I had to admit that he looked handsome. I hissed his name.

"Selphie?" he awed.

"It's me," I confirmed. "Come on in." He did so, and blushed when he saw Quistis. Walter and Oonagh were holding hands and smiling. "Hey!" I shouted. "Look who I found!" I presented Nida proudly.

"Nida, there you are," Walter smiled. Nida smiled and shrugged modestly. "Instructor Trepe, I believe this is your escort?"

"Yes, he is." She held out her hand and after a moment's pause, Nida received her. I hopelessly stared at the two couples. 

"Would you like it if I waited for you?" asked Nida.

"No, thanks," I smiled. "I'm fine with Fujin."

"Very well." He bowed to me and together he and Quistis exited.

"See you there," Oonagh waved, and she and Walter set out. It was just me and Fujin now. We exchanged a smile. Another two or three minutes passed before there was another knock on the door.

"Answer it, Selphie," Fujin stated. I grinned at her and opened the door. Irvine was standing on the other side. He wore a brown suit like Nida, only he still had his black fedora on his head. He took it off and bowed politely.

"Good evening, ma'am. Is Selphie here?" he asked.

"You know it's me, you goof!" I giggled. He grinned and held out his arm.

"Shall we be off?"

"Oh, wait a second." I turned to Fujin. "Hey! Are you coming with us?"

"I'm going to meet Raijin and Seifer," she answered. "Don't worry about me. You two just go on."

"All right." I gave Irvine my arm and we left Fujin. We came to the ballroom, no longer blocked off with crepe paper. I had a feeling that this was going to be a night to remember. 

Author's note: I didn't mean to forget about Irvine. He just didn't play a major role in the last four chapters. Sorry about that, Irvy!


	18. Garden Festival of Spring

18: Garden Festival of Spring

Nida was already at his post when Irvine and I arrived at the door. All of my friends were still standing outside. They had been waiting for me to show up before going into the ballroom. I felt like a conductor on a train or something as I took their tickets from them and welcomed them to the Festival.

"See ya inside," Irvine waved. I waved back. They all went inside, leaving Nida and I outside to greet people.

"Hey, Nida. I'm getting a sense of déjà vu."

"As am I," he nodded. The hallway leading to the ballroom was only wide enough for two people to go down it side by side. We didn't have to wait long for the first two partygoers to show up. It was Headmaster Cid and his wife Edea. The headmaster gave Nida his tickets while Matron and I socialized.

"Selphie, you look beautiful tonight."

"Thank you, Matron."

"And Nida, you look handsome."

"Thank you, Mrs. Kramer," he replied shyly.

"Irvine and Quistis are already inside," I told her. "Why don't you go say hi?"

"I will," she smiled. Nida held the door open for her. SeeDs and students I didn't know so well came next. I welcomed them with a bright smile and allowed them entrance into the ballroom. They are _so_ lucky I'm a nice person! Lots of them hadn't bought their tickets until the very last second. Oh, well, I guess I should be grateful they bought tickets _eventually_.

"Selphie!" I knew that voice to be Raijin's. He hadn't bothered to dress up at all. That was just as well, since he would've probably looked silly in a suit. He gave both me and Nida a big hug. "You're lookin' great, ya know?"

"Thanks! Hey, you didn't get a date?"

"Yeah, but that's okay. Between you and Fujin, I'll have plenty of dances, ya know?"

"Is Seifer with a girl?" I asked. Raijin winked at me.

"You'll just have to see." He handed Nida his ticket and went inside. His statement had left me dying of curiosity. Did Seifer get a girl to go with him? And if he did, what did she look like? My curiosity was soon sated by the arrival of Seifer. He was wearing a white suit with a black tie. I'll admit he looked very handsome. I next observed the girl that was hanging onto his arm. She had light red hair in wavy curls. She wore a white dress with a light blue sash tied around her waist. Her neckline had blue trim, as did her sleeves.

"Seifer, you got someone to go with you!" I cheered, hugging him happily. When I pulled away I found he was smiling. His date was smiling as well; her smile was shy and uncertain. "I'm sorry, I've been so rude. What's your name?"

"Angel," she replied. She held out her hand and I shook it.

"Nice to meet you!"

"I'm glad to meet you too. I hope we can be friends."

"Sure we can!" I noticed that I was holding up the line. "Oops! We can talk later. I'm so glad to meet you!" She smiled meekly.

"Sellie, try not to scare her away on our first date," Seifer warned.

"I'll wait until the second date to do that," I said playfully. He rolled his eyes and led his date into the ballroom. "You're awfully quiet, Nida. Is there something wrong?" He chuckled and shook his head.

"Nothing's wrong. It's just that I have no reason to speak. You're doing enough talking for the both of us."

"That I am, Nida. That I am."

"Selphina, you look great!" There was only one person in the Garden who called me by my full name. I beamed at my friend Jacob. Gently clutching his arm was…

"Fujin?" She smiled and nodded her head. "Uh… wait a second… I'm confused here… I thought you weren't going with anyone."

"JAKE ASKED ME," she answered in her "normal" voice. I wondered if she used it because of Nida or Jacob, or both. "COULDN'T SAY NO." Jacob's whole face turned red. He was in a black tuxedo with a black bowtie.

"Are you going to a wedding, Jacob?" I teased.

"This was the only suit I owned!" he defended.

"LOOK FINE," Fujin assured him. They each handed Nida a ticket. He looked as confused as I felt. Fujin was right: she could surprise me. "SEE YOU INSIDE."

"Okay," I answered blankly. I watched them go in.

"That was unexpected," noted Nida wryly. But the surprises of the night weren't over yet. I still hadn't seen Zell. I had just about enough of welcoming people and opening the door for them when I finally saw him.

"Selphie! You look great!" That was Zell all right. He still had his hair fixed the same way. He had on a light purple suit and a white tie. I know he's my friend, but I just felt like laughing when I saw him. It was hard for me to keep a straight face.

"Zell, you look… uh… nice." At his side was a girl only slightly shorter than he with short blonde hair. She had on a dark blue negligee.

"This is Viktorija," Zell introduced. She spelled out her name for me. "I got _so_ lucky on this one. I was practically begging her to come."

"You _were_ begging," she corrected. Her voice held a thick foreign accent.

"I'm glad Zell found someone to go with him," I smiled, shaking her hand. "I can't wait to get to know you."

"I feel the same." 

"Hey, Nida!" Zell waved. Nida silently waved back. There were a couple more people to let in before we could join the fun. I was aching to go in so we could get the Festival started. Finally the last person was welcomed and ushered through the door. Nida offered me his elbow.

"Let us join the festivities, Ms. Tilmitt."

"That sounds like a marvelous idea, Mr. Jones." We entered the ballroom. Thankfully I found Irvine in the crowd (he was the only one wearing a hat) and together we helped Nida look for Quistis, who was much harder to find. Together the four of us stepped on the dance floor.

"Hey! Can I have your attention, please?" I shouted. The crowd didn't seem to hear me.

"QUIET!" Fujin's voice ordered. The noise died down. "LISTEN TO SELPHIE." All eyes were on me. Most people would get nervous with all those people staring at them. Not me!

"Thanks for coming to the Garden Festival of Spring. Nida and I will do a solo dance with our partners to start things off!" The lights dimmed down. Irvine took off his hat and bowed to me. I curtseyed. I put my left hand on his shoulder and clasped my other hand in his. _Please let the song be a waltz!_ The music kicked in and it was a waltz. _Thank you, thank you, thank you!_ Irvine and I moved as if we were one person. I didn't want it to end.

"Selphie, I see lots of girls out there wearin' all types of dresses with their hair in all types of styles. And you know what?"

"What?"

"I wouldn't trade this one dance with you for a hundred dances with those girls." I gasped and gazed up at his handsome face.

"Do you mean it, Irvy?"

"Yes, Sellie. I mean it." I smiled and nestled my head on his chest. The music died away all too soon. There was a part of me that wanted to stay with Irvine, but there was another part of me that remembered all the dances I promised my friends.

"I have to make the rounds. I'll dance with you again, I promise," I whispered, kissing him on the cheek.

"See you then." Our hands slipped apart. I was sad to leave him, but quickly cheered up when I spotted Zell. His suit is just so _funny_! I mean, it's _purple_! I wanted to run over to him, but I remembered Quistis' request to be ladylike. So instead I calmly walked over to him. I didn't see Viktorija anywhere.

"Hey, Zell. Where's your date?"

"Oh, some guy asked her to dance," he answered dismissively.

"_Speak_ing of dancing!" I sang, grinning mischievously. "I call the next waltz with you!"

"Sure, okay." We waited for another waltz to play. It took three songs before one kicked in. We went out on the dance floor and waltzed.

"I should've taken dancing lessons from Oonagh or Rinoa. Being restricted to waltzing is such a bummer."

"I'm sorry," Zell cringed. "I was just trying to be helpful."

"Yeah, I know you were."

"What you _could_ do is fake it like Squall did."

"He's a guy, Zell. Guys are allowed to be bad dancers. Girls are expected to be graceful." Zell chuckled.

"No offense, Sellie, but you're not what I would call 'graceful'." I slapped him on the arm.

"Behave!" The song ended and a new one that was definitely _not_ a waltz started. "I'm going to talk to Seifer. _You_ go dance with some girls. I want to see your card full all night long."

"Yes, ma'am." I ignored the sarcastic remark but promised myself I would get him back for it. Seifer was easy to spot in his white suit. He and Angel were talking, and I couldn't remember seeing Seifer so happy. Except when he was with the posse, myself, and Irvine. _Good for you, Seifer. You found someone that accepts you._ I could sense that my presence was unwanted so I turned to go. Seifer noticed me and urged me to join him and his new friend.

"How are you enjoying yourself, Selphie?"

"Oh, fine," I shrugged. "_You_ seem to be having a good time."

"I am. Angel is a very nice girl. The best part is that she actually _likes_ me!" He looked absolutely thrilled. Angel smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.

"He has a nice smile, doesn't he?"

"He does," I agreed. Seifer turned a little red. "I was _going_ to take him away from you so I can dance with him, but I just don't have the heart to do it now."

"That's all right. You've been his friend longer than I have. Go ahead and dance with him." I thanked her and eagerly pulled Seifer onto the dance floor.

"Sellie, wait." I stopped. "I… really don't dance very much."

"That's okay. I only know how to waltz." Unfortunately the next song wasn't a waltz. Seifer and I didn't mind; we made up our own dance. I can't even describe it, it was so random. Luckily we were both making up a weird dance, so it looked almost planned. At least we were looking ridiculous together. We were both laughing when we rejoined Angel.

"I was watching," she said. "I've never seen that dance before."

"We made it up," I admitted.

"Well, it was a good way for me to hear Seifer laugh for the first time." Seifer's face was about the same color as her hair. I patted him on the shoulder.

"I have to go dance with Jacob and Nida before the night's over. I'll talk to you later. And Angel? I look forward to getting to know you." She smiled.

"I agree." I waved to them and went out in search of Jacob. I actually spotted Fujin first. She and Jacob were on the dance floor. I had to wait until the dance was over before I went up to them.

"Jacob! Fujin! How're you guys doing?"

"Doing well, Selphina," Jacob answered, welcoming me with a hug. "She's too modest to tell you, but Fujin is an excellent dancer." Fujin smiled and shook her head.

"TOO KIND."

"Fujin, may I have a dance with Jacob, please?"

"JUST ONE," she warned. 

"Okay, just one." The very next waltz that came up found Jacob and I on the dance floor.

"Fujin's such a nice person," Jacob said. "I really feel lucky to be her friend."

"Yeah. She's really cool," I agreed. We spent part of the dance in silence. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Would it… be all right if I called you Jake?" His brow furrowed in confusion. "See, you and I are really good friends. The inside joke is good, but I want to feel like we're really friends. So… can I call you Jake?" His face broke into a smile.

"Yeah, sure you can. On one condition."

"What's that?"

"I get to call you Sellie."

"Deal!" I declared. We shook hands. I returned him to his date and went off in search of Nida. I passed by Irvine, who was looking a little lonely. He brightened up when he saw me.

"Selphie! You came back to dance with me!"

"Sorry, Irvy," I pouted. "I've got to steal Nida for a while."

"I already danced with Quistis, Rinoa, Oonagh, and about three girls I didn't even know. I've been waitin' for you so we could dance again," he complained. I smiled sweetly and kissed his nose.

"I'll dance with you after I get Nida, okay?" He sighed and kissed me on the forehead.

"All right. Don't forget me, now." I winked at him and promised I would return shortly. I found Nida dancing with Rinoa. He looked a little uneasy and I soon discovered why: Squall was watching them from a short distance away. I happily helped Nida out of that situation by asking him for the next dance.

"Yikes, Nida! You look awful!"

"Do you blame me?" he groaned. "Rinoa walked right up to me and asked me to dance with her. I couldn't just say no. Then Squall was _staring_ at me. He didn't even blink. It was creepy."

"He's over-possessive of Rinoa. Don't let it get to you," I advised.

"You know what I find odd? None of the girls accepted my invitation to come with me, but they all want to dance with me."

"They realized what they missed out on." He blushed slightly. We finished the dance and he surprised me by giving me a rough hug.

"Thank you, Sellie." I wasn't sure what to be more shocked about, the fact that he called me by my pet name or that he was thanking me for something and I didn't know what it was.

"For what?"

"I know. I don't know how, but somehow I know that you had a hand in Quistis being my date tonight. I wanted to thank you. You're a very thoughtful person, and a wonderful friend." He broke away and smiled at me. "Now go and dance with Irvine. He's been waiting for you."

"You're a sweet guy, Nida," I smiled. I followed his advice eagerly. Irvine enveloped me in his arms. 

"Will I get to dance with you now?" he asked.

"Yes." A new song was put in. I recognized it at once.

" 'Eyes on Me'," Irvine whispered. I nodded. It was a fitting song to play. There were so many couples, new and old, on the dance floor that night. Irvine and I gently swayed back and forth. I never felt so happy in my whole life. I hoped the song would never end, that the night would last forever. "Selphie?"

"Yes, Irvine?" I gazed up into his eyes. His eyes on me.

"I kind of liked it your way   
How you shyly placed your eyes on me   
Oh, did you ever know?   
That I had mine on you" 

He pressed his forehead against mine.

"There's something I have to tell you. I just haven't gotten the words out before."

"Hmm? What's that?"

"I love you." Before I could say a word, before I could fully react, his mouth was covering my own. Two thoughts entered my head at the same time: _He loves me!_ and _He's kissing me!_ I closed my eyes and stood on my toes so I could cling onto his neck. I willed time to stop. His arms were gently holding me around the waist. Oonagh had been right. Being kissed is indescribable, especially if you love the person who's kissing you. Our embrace was broken and we stood grinning at each other.

"I love you, Irvine," I whispered, rubbing my nose on his cheek. A perfect night, one I would remember forever.

"Darling, so there you are   
With that look on your face   
As if you're never hurt   
As if you're never down   
Shall I be the one for you   
Who pinches you softly but sure   
If frown is shown then   
I will know that you are no dreamer"

_____

I obviously had a great time at the Festival. I kept all my dance promises and got to see Seifer happy. The best part was when Irvine told me he loved me. I was happy, but it was a peaceful sort of happiness. Irvine walked me to my room. I had my head resting up against his arm and was wearing his hat on my head. Hey, I may have _looked_ sophisticated, but I was still the same person. We stopped at my door.

"Good night, Sellie."

"Good night, Irvy." We kissed. I opened the door to my dorm.

"Hey, Sellie?" I turned back.

"Yes?"

"Would you… like to go on a date with me tomorrow?" I grinned and nodded happily.

"Definitely." He grinned too.

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, then. Seven o'clock."

"Seven," I repeated. He waved and turned to go. "Hey! Don't forget this!" I handed him his hat.

"Oh, thanks." He flipped it on his head. "See ya." I watched him go. He was almost to his own door when I saw him take his hat off again and wave it over his head. "YEEHAA!" I laughed to myself and went inside my dorm. I kicked off my shoes and collapsed on my bed. I was too happy to do anything except smile. So much had happened over the course of a month. I closed my eyes and succumbed to sleep. _This is so cool! I'm friends with the posse, and I'm going on a date with Irvine! Plus Oonagh has a great guy, and it looks like Fujin does too. How could this possibly get any better?_

Author's note: Thanks go to Cherry for giving me the lyrics to "Eyes on Me". Don't worry, the story's not over!


	19. Heart Troubles

19: Heart Troubles

The next day was Saturday, so we were allowed to sleep in. I don't think anyone would've woken up on time if it was a week day, but it was nice to know we were _allowed_ to sleep in. That being said, I slept in until about nine in the morning. I was too excited about the events of the day before to do any serious sleeping. All my friends had special people in their lives now, and I was going on a date with Irvine. I had no reason _not_ to be happy! The fact that it was a Saturday only made my good mood better. I literally skipped all the way to the cafeteria.

The place was practically empty. Well, really, it almost _was_ empty. There were a few cooks mulling about, and one person sitting at a table. I recognized the person and ran over to him. He was slouching over the table and he didn't seem to notice I was even there. I plopped down in a chair and mimicked his stance. He was wearing his usual "uniform" and his hair looked a little more disheveled than usual. After a few minutes of sitting like this he finally took notice of me.

"Oh. You're up early."

"So're you," I returned. He wasn't wearing his usual grin. Something was wrong. "Hey, what's the matter?"

"Nothing."

"Zell, did anyone tell you how horrible you are at lying?" He snorted and continued to stare into oblivion. "Tell me what's the matter! I can't stand it when you're not happy."

"I don't want to talk about it. Especially with you." I pouted.

"Why not?" 

"Just go away."

"Don't be a Squall! Tell me what's bugging you!" _He's acting weird again. I wonder what's wrong?_ I waited for a while but he didn't speak again. "Okay, if I guess what's wrong, will you talk to me?"

"I guess so," he mumbled.

"Is it about me?"

"No."

"Is it about Viktorija?"

"No."

"Is it about a girl?" Zell stared at me for a moment, then smiled.

"Yes."

"Woo-hoo! I got it right!" I cheered. His smile widened. "And look! I got you to smile too! Okay, so it's about a girl…" I grinned in triumph. "You've got a crush on someone!" His face turned red.

"Uh… yeah…"

"Oh, Zell, that's so cool!" I grinned, giving him a hug. "Who is she? Is she nice? Do I know her? How long's this been going on?"

"One at a time, one at a time!" he chuckled, waving his hands for me to stop.

"Sorry," I smiled meekly. "Okay, first of all, who is she?" Zell's smile dropped like an anchor.

"I can't tell you."

"Huh? Why _not_?" I whined.

"Because you'll tell her."

"No, I won't. I swear! Please tell me!" I tugged on his arm insistently. 

"You'll tell her, I know you will!"

"I won't!" I promised. "Hey, when Oonagh told me she liked Walter, I didn't breathe a word about it to anybody." The sad look on Zell's face shut me up. "You can't be… serious."

"It's Oonagh," he confirmed sadly. I was blown away. I gaped at him, shook my head, and gaped at him again. I tried to grope for words.

"Really? But… wait a minute… then… why didn't you say something?"

"Because, she and Walter are perfect for each other, that's why!" He slammed his fist down on the table, creating a small crack in the structure. "I wanted to go with _her_ to the Festival, but Walter asked her first. So then I asked you. I just _had_ to go with someone, Selphie. I didn't want to look like a loser." He sighed and rubbed the crack with his index finger. "But I _am_ a loser. I liked Oonagh, I really did, and I let her go." I honestly didn't know how to react to this.

"Zell… The way you were acting, I thought it was _me_ you liked."

"You?" Zell repeated. He chuckled lightly. "Don't take this the wrong way, Sellie, but I love you like a sister. I guess I was just so down about Oonagh that the whole mess with you just made it worse. Sorry if it made you uncomfortable." He continued to rub his finger over the crack. "You won't tell her, will you?"

"No. I won't."

"Thanks." He smiled and got up from the table.

"Hey, Zell? What are you going to do?"

"What _can_ I do?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders helplessly. "She's with Walter now. He's a great guy and I can tell she really likes him."

"So… you're just going to _give up_?" I demanded, getting to my feet as well.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Get her back, stupid!"

"I told you I can't! She's with Walter!"

"Zell," I said gently, "you never used to just give up. You can't start now. Not with something this important."

"She's your best friend, Selphie. Why are you encouraging me to break her up with a guy she seems to really like?" Zell questioned.

"Because you're my friend too. You and her are my very best friends. I want you _both_ to be happy. I know Oonagh likes Walter now, but she _used_ to like you. If there's a way my two best friends can be together, I'm going to find it!" I declared boldly. Zell shook his head, smiling in amusement.

"Selphie, you truly are one-of-a-kind."

"I know it!"

_____

Just when I thought everything was going along fine, I find out Zell has a crush on Oonagh again! I needed more information from him. What had caused them to break up? How long had he been secretly liking her? Did he stop liking her for a while or did he always like her and she just didn't know it? I was excited and a little scared too. Walter and Oonagh really _were_ cute together and it seemed such a shame to break them up, even if it was to secure Zell's happiness. I was in quite a situation. If it went one way, Zell would be crushed, and if it went the other way, Walter would be crushed. Not to mention what Oonagh would think!

"Oh, man, oh, man! This is crazy!"

"What is?" I nearly jumped out of my skin. _Irvine!_ I spun around. The posse (which now included Angel and Jake) had somehow come up behind me without making a noise. I buried my head in Irvine's chest. He gently stroked my hair. "Ssh. It's all right now, dahlin'."

"What's wrong, Sellie?" Seifer asked.

"I can't tell!" I whimpered. "I promised Zell I wouldn't."

"Zell _again_?" Irvine complained.

"Again?" Jake frowned.

"Yeah. He's always layin' his troubles on poor Selphie." Irvine lifted my head and kissed me soothingly. "What's he done to you this time?"

"Nothing. He didn't do anything to me. There's just something troubling him and I want to help, but I don't know how."

"Selphie, you have such a kind heart," Fujin smiled. I took note that she was using her "other" voice. _She's trusting more people now. That's good._

"Whatever it is, it'll be kept inside the posse, ya know? We're good about keeping secrets, ya know?" I sighed wearily. It hadn't been ten minutes since I learned Zell's secret and already I was tempted to blurt it out. Raijin was right, though. I was safe talking to the posse about the problem. Besides, I had only technically promised not to tell _Oonagh_.

"Okay, here's the thing: I just learned from Zell that he still likes Oonagh. The only problem is that Walter is dating her. I want to do something to help Zell but I don't know how to help without hurting someone." They were all quiet as they thought this over.

"I knew about the Oonagh thing," Irvine spoke up. "I mean, I've been roomin' with the guy for a little over two months. It was kinda obvious, but I didn't say anything."

"Hey, that's right!" I gasped, grabbing his arm excitedly. "You're his roommate, so you know him the best! You can help!"

"Wait a second! What about our date?"

"We can do that any time at all!" I assured him. "We've got all day! It's not like you were planning on some romantic dinner or anything." He smiled sheepishly and nodded his head. "Fujin can help me talk to Oonagh. Angel doesn't know either of them too well, but I think she can tag along with me and Fujin anyway. Raijin can help with Zell, and Seifer and Jake will talk to Walter."

"Wait, Selphie!" Raijin shouted. "What is this, a sniper attack? I don't think we should all rush into this, ya know?"

"He's right," Angel agreed. "I don't know the situation as well as the rest of you, but I think it would be best if it's just you and Irvine that take care of this." The others added their agreement. I had to admit that she was right. Irvine and I _were_ the best people to take care of this, being Zell's closest friends and all.

"Okay," I conceded. "It'll just be me and Irvine. But Angel, I think you should get to know Oonagh anyway. Just in case." She sighed and assured me she would.

_____

Before Irvine and I started on our campaign to help Zell with his problems, we went on our very first "real date". Dating Irvine is a lot like being friends with Irvine. I guess the only big difference is that I could feel his love for me. It's really cool, knowing that someone loves you. For our first date I tried to teach him that random dance Seifer and I did during the Festival. The only problem was I couldn't remember any of the steps. So we ended up making up an entirely new dance. We called it "Irvine and Selphie's random dance". It was a great time and I was glad Irvine and I could still have fun.

We got down to business pretty fast and compiled a list of things we already knew about our roommates, then compared them. We hoped that with these lists we would be able to either hook up Zell and Oonagh, or at the least help Zell feel better about Oonagh being with Walter. I knew this was a serious matter, but I couldn't help but chuckle over some of the things Irvine had put down on his list. It looked something like this:

1: Zell likes hotdogs

2: Zell is a fighter

3: Zell doesn't like Seifer

4: Zell has a hot temper

5: Zell likes Oonagh

6: Zell hates libraries

7: Zell has a big mouth

8: Zell only knows how to waltz

9: Zell hasn't visited his mother 'cause of this Oonagh stuff

10: Zell sings

11: Zell has all these notes Oonagh wrote him hidden in his pillowcase

12: Zell puts his socks on my bed

I think you get the idea. Only a few of these I found interesting while I think the rest were either just obvious or complaints Irvine put down on paper. I was intrigued by the notes hidden in his pillowcase. I would have to ask Oonagh about those later. The thing about Zell hating libraries I had always suspected; that was why I wondered how he and Oonagh grew to like each other. It just didn't seem to fit. My list for Oonagh was kind of silly too. It looked like this:

1: Oonagh's crazy about Walter Oren

2: She's read almost every book in the library

3: She's usually very sophisticated

4: Her favorite color is purple

5: She used to like Zell

6: She's a pacifist

7: She's usually quiet and keeps to herself

8: She's very polite

9: She's always on time

10: She only acts silly around me (or Zell, I guess)

11: She wants to be an Instructor

12: She can calm Zell down (according to Zell)

And so on. These two lists we contrasted instead of compared. There wasn't much similarity between them, other than the fact that they both liked each other at one point. _Maybe it'd be better if we just figure out a way for Zell to let her go,_ I thought. I dismissed the idea at once. _No way! I'm not giving up! I said I was going to find a way to bring them together and, by golly, I'm going to do it!_

"We need more information than this!" I decided. "No matter what path we take, we've got to know more before we take it. Let's go talk to Zell."

"You think he'll talk to us?"

"If he doesn't, we'll just bug him until he does!" Irvine laughed and together we set out to find Zell. 

_____

We first thought to look in Zell's room. It was a good thing we did, because that's where he was. He was punching the air and didn't notice us right away. Unlike the last time I was in the room, the place was disorderly. Irvine's jacket was lying on the table and other articles of clothing were scattered on the floor. Zell noticed us at last and greeted us with a broad grin. 

"Hey! What's happening, you guys?"

"Zell, we need to talk," Irvine said. He shoved off a pile of clothes from a chair and sat down. I grabbed a stool and sat down near him. Zell sighed and also took a seat. 

"What do you want?"

"We're here to talk about you an' Oonagh." Zell turned pale. He looked away and crossed his arms.

"Don't wanna."

"Zell, if we're going to help you, we need more information," I told him. "Like, how did you and Oonagh first get together? When did you break up? How long have you liked her? That kind of thing."

"I told you, I _don't_ want to do this!" Zell snapped. "She's happy with Walter! End of story!" He cut his hands through the air for emphasis.

"Zell…!" I protested.

"No! Both of you, get out! I don't want you to bother about this any more!" He began forcibly shoving us out of the room. I dug my heels into the floor but he was a whole lot stronger than me. "Go on a date together or something and leave me alone!"

"We're just tryin' to help," Irvine defended.

"You can help by leaving me alone for a while!"

"What about Oonagh?" I demanded. "Don't you care about her?" Zell paused and stared at me sadly.

"Of course I do."

"Then do something about it, you big dork!"

"I am!" He paused again. I had never seen him look so sad. "I'm doing her a big favor by just being her friend. You don't know; she probably never told you. I was awful to her. I was so scared that I would mess up, so I never really showed her how much I cared. I'm all wrong for her. She's better off without me." He got us out with a final push and shut the door behind us.

"Zell!" I tried to open the door but it was locked. "Zell! Open the door!"

"Go _away_!" he retorted, his voice sounding thick.

"Zell, are you crying?"

"None of your business! Now, _please_ leave me alone."

"Open this damn door!" Irvine shouted, slamming his fist on the frame. This time Zell didn't say anything. "Zell, you've gotta let me in sooner or later!" Irvine cursed and rattled the doorknob. "Open the damn door, Zell, or else I'll blast a hole through it!" I put my hand on his shoulder and he calmed down. There was silence again. I could hear sobs coming from inside. _Poor Zell. He really does care about Oonagh. Why is he doing this to himself?_ I glanced at Irvine helplessly.

"What do we do now?"


	20. Questions

20: Questions

I'll admit that I was pretty down. I mean, my best guy friend in the world was letting go of the one girl that might possibly make him happy. The worst part about the situation was that my best _girl_friend was this one girl that could make him happy, and she was already happy with another guy! AAARGH! I just know I'm going to get a premature gray hair over this! I wanted to do something, to help in some way, but Zell was being so stubborn! Why didn't he want us to help him? I mean, it was obvious to Irvine and I that he really cared about Oonagh. So why was he going to make himself miserable by not doing his best to get her back? I know, I know. She's with a great guy. But… but… Zell's a great guy too! I just don't know what to do!

"Nida, I just don't know what to do!" I whined, grabbing onto his arm.

"Study."

"What?"

"For the exam," he explained. "You should study." I blinked in confusion.

"What exam?" He cringed.

"The exam that we're taking Monday." 

"Oh." _Gee, I must've forgotten about that._ "Well, that's not what I was talking about. I was talking about something else!"

"On a crusade to bring two more people together?" he smiled.

"How'd you know?"

"It's you, Sellie. You seem to have a knack for helping everyone out and allowing no time for yourself." _He figured me out pretty fast._ "Whatever this new trouble is, why don't you let it be? You put far too much responsibility on your shoulders. I think you should relax and enjoy your time with Irvine."

"I can't do that!" I protested. "I just can't stand around knowing that someone's purposefully losing their chance at true happiness!" Nida chuckled and gave me a quick hug.

"Sellie, please give yourself a day off from being everyone's Love Doctor, or whatever it is you do. If not for your own good, then because I'm asking you to. Please?"

"Oh, okay," I sighed.

"And you should probably study for that exam while you're at it," he added.

"Yikes! You're right! See ya!" I waved and jetted towards the library. In all that had happened recently, the scheduled exam just flew right out of my head. I'd have to cram like no tomorrow if I hoped to make a passing grade. I slowed down just before I reached the library entrance. I'm usually sensitive when it comes to rules like that. I walked inside and spotted Oonagh reading in a corner. I quietly clapped my hands and joined her. She looked up and smiled.

"Hey, Miss Petite. What brings you here?"

"I forgot I had an exam on Monday!" I confessed. She quietly chuckled.

"I suppose you want me to help you."

"Please do!"

"Honestly! You and Zell are so lazy!" She clicked her tongue in annoyance. Her mentioning Zell reminded me of why I had been so stressed out. _But Nida asked me to take a day off from that stuff._ Well, I could at least ask her a few questions. There was nothing wrong with that! I tried to think of an opening that wouldn't be too suspicious.

"I didn't know you used to help Zell study."

"How else do you think we met?"

"But Zell hates libraries!" I hissed. Oonagh smiled secretly and winked at me.

"Yes, I know. He told me that seeing all those books made him dizzy. He used to pretend to have a seizure every time I told him to study, just to get out of it." She smiled at the memory. I chuckled. _That's Zell!_ She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "He doesn't ask me for help any more. Now I only have you to tutor."

"Oonagh," I began, idly kicking my feet back and forth, "what exactly made you start liking Zell in the first place?"

"Oh, I don't know. I first thought he was cute. When I got to know him better, I found he had a personality quite unlike my own. I suppose it was his zealous nature that drew me to him…" She trailed off and her eyes were glazed over. She quickly recovered. 

"So, ah… what made you stop liking him?" She stared at me, eyeing me inquisitively.

"Why are you asking me about Zell?"

"Well, I never got the whole story. That whole episode was before we got to be good friends." That sounded good enough. I didn't want her to suspect I had any ulterior motives.

"Please don't tell Walter, but… I never really stopped liking him." I think I did about a triple-take.

"Say _what_?" She blushed and began fidgeting with her hands.

"I never stopped liking him."

"So what happened? How'd it end with you two?"

"Remember when you came back to Garden after defeating Ultimecia and you were doing that film?" I nodded, grinning at the memory. "He and I were in the cafeteria. He was trying to set a new record for hotdog eating, and you caught him almost chocking. Well, I was right there beside him and he didn't even know I was there. Not at all." She paused. I saw a tear escape her eye. "That's when I figured it out: he didn't really like me. He just allowed me to be with him because he didn't want to hurt my feelings." I wanted to protest, to tell her she was wrong, but the time just wasn't right for that.

"So you broke it off with him? Didn't he feel sad about that?"

"There was nothing to break off!" she declared. "We weren't really _dating_, you know? And after I 'broke it off', for lack of a better phrase, I avoided him for a week. I have no idea what he thought about it." She took a deep shuttering breath. I let her sit alone in silence for a moment.

"Sometimes you can think someone doesn't care about you, but they're really just scared. Scared to show a weakness, to show that they care, scared that they might mess up. It's a shame that being afraid can hurt so many people." That held true for all the guys I knew. Irvine was scared, Zell was scared, and even Squall and Seifer were scared. I admit that love can be very scary. You can be broken so easily, but if you find love and it works out, it's well worth it.

"What… are you talking about?"

"Nothing! Uh, I was just remembering how Irvine was scared to ask me out. He really liked me; he was just scared." I smiled brightly. _Would it do any good to tell you how much Zell cares about you? Would it matter at all? Would it change anything?_ I sighed. Nida was right. I put far too much responsibility on my shoulders. But when my friends need help, I can't just ignore them!

"I suppose that's true for some people…" I had to bite my tongue as hard as I could to not say anything. "You won't tell Walter, will you?"

"No, of course not. But Oonagh, why are you with Walter if you like Zell?"

"Because Walter cares about me. He _loves_ me, and always drops whatever it is he's doing when I'm with him. I can't say that was true about Zell." I almost had to shove my fist in my mouth. I was aching to blurt it all out. _He was scared!_ I screamed mentally. _He was scared, Oonagh! He cares, he really does! I wish you knew how much he cares for you! He was just so scared. He didn't know what to do. I wish I could tell you!_ I felt on the verge of tears.

"You and Zell are friends now, though, right?"

"More like acquaintances than friends. I do want to be friends with him again but he has been acting strange lately. Do you think he's still upset about the posse?"

"I don't know. He's been ignoring me. He locked Irvine out of his room."

"He didn't!"

"He did!"

"That Zell!" she sighed, shaking her head. "I thought I broke him of that habit. He used to lock Konnor out all the time."

"Huh? Who's Konnor?" I asked.

"An old roommate Zell had before he became a SeeD. I'm surprised Zell hasn't mentioned him to you. Konnor was like his older brother." _Maybe he doesn't mention Konnor because it reminds him of when he was with Oonagh? Who knows what goes through that guy's head?_

"He doesn't tell me every little thing, silly!"

"I'm sure he doesn't." I was about to ask what she meant when she broke through my words. "That's enough talk about Zell, I think. It's time to study." She shoved a book in my face.

"No, not that!" I cried. "Maybe I should fake a seizure like Zell!"

"I think not. That's his move. You can't touch it." She gave me a stern gaze, daring me to oppose her. I laughed and obediently began to study. I only halfway paid attention to the words. Inside I had another problem stewing in my head. Zell liked Oonagh and Oonagh liked Zell, but they didn't know that. How was I going to help get them together without them finding out? This test would be a whole lot harder to pass than the one I was studying for.


	21. An Old Friend

21: An Old Friend

Irvine was still locked out of his room and Zell was still being stubborn. I didn't feel right about leaving Irvine by himself, so I put him in Seifer's room for the night. Monday came and still Zell wouldn't let Irvine in. He went to class and took the exam but literally ran to his room afterwards and locked the door. He wouldn't even look at either of us. If I didn't feel so bad about what was going on, I would've smacked him on the back of the head. He was being such a big baby about this whole mess! Anyway, out of habit I went to his room soon after I got the results of the exam (I passed, thanks in large part to Oonagh) just to see what was going on.

I met up with Irvine and together we went to check on Zell. We were surprised to find someone already pounding on the door. We stayed back and watched this new person for a while. His spiky light brown hair was almost blonde; the tips were dyed black. He wore pants the same color as his hair and a dark blue shirt. Like most people, he was taller than me. He looked only a few inches shorter than Irvine. I couldn't quite make out his face at first. Hand in hand, Irvine and I quietly crept closer. The stranger was shouting and I picked up the word "Zell". I grabbed Irvine's arm. We didn't have to say a word; we could understand each other without speaking.

"You little ass! You'd better open this door right now!"

"I don't want to talk to you!" Zell's voice shouted back. I figured that this guy was cool so I went over to him, Irvine soon following me.

"Excuse me, but do you know Zell?" I asked. The guy turned and… let me just say that he was _hot_! I think he was a year or two older than me. He had a certain air about him that I recognized. It was the same kind of air that was on Irvine. Maybe that's why I thought he was hot. 

"Yes, I do." He had dark brown eyes. He stared at me for a moment. "Don't tell me… you're Selphie, right?"

"Yeah, that's right," I nodded.

"And you're Irvine?" he added, pointing to Irvine. 

"Yup."

"Thought so. Zell told me a lot about you two."

"Funny. He's never mentioned _you_," said Irvine nervously. The guy laughed and ran a hand through his messy hair, causing it to be even more of a mess.

"I can't imagine why. He and I are like brothers, in a way. My name is Konnor Bonaparte and I'm so glad I finally get to meet you guys." He grabbed Irvine's hand and shook it. When he got to me, he took my hand and kissed it. "In all that Zell told me about you, he never once mentioned how pretty you are."

"She's taken, pal," Irvine growled, pushing me away from him.

"Oh. Oh, well. I've still got a chance with Instructor Trepe." I figured out fairly quickly that Konnor was a flirt, just like Irvine. How ironic that Zell got stuck with _two_ flirty roommates. "So do you guys want to talk to Zell?"

"He won't talk," I complained. "All because he thinks he can't ever get Oonagh back."

"He even locked _me_ out, an' I'm his roommate!" Irvine added.

"I know, I know. It happened to me _all the time_," Konnor sighed. "And I bet that you don't have your set of keys. Am I right?" Irvine patted his pockets and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not surprised. He's probably got them hidden somewhere in his room. No worries. I know how to get in."

"You do?" I gasped.

"Sure, sure. Observe." He whipped out an ordinary-looking hairpin. "Whenever I got locked out, I used this hairpin to get back in."

"You're gonna pick the lock?" Irvine frowned.

"Yeah. I suggest you learn how to do it." Konnor went to work picking the lock. This guy made me think of both Zell and Irvine. The way he spoke reminded me of Zell but his flirtatious nature reminded me of Irvine. "You kind of have to master it in time. I haven't done this in a while, so I'm kind of rusty." At last the lock clicked and he easily turned the knob.

"Woo-hoo!" I cheered. Konnor pocketed the hairpin. The three of us entered the room. It looked a little cleaner but then I noticed that all of the dirty clothes were on Irvine's bed. Zell's bedroom door was closed. "If that's locked, I'm going to scream."

"I can't lock it!" Zell shouted from inside. "I take it that you're with Konnor!"

"You know it, little brother!" Konnor grinned. The door opened and Zell came out, dragging his feet and scowling. "My, my. Looks like we woke you up."

"I'd say 'it's good to see you', but I'd be lying," Zell muttered. Konnor pushed off the harsh words with a smile.

"Wallowing in your own misery never helped anything, little bro. I just came to see you. It seems like your friends have some other business with you, concerning your favorite girl." Konnor sat down and put his feet up on the table. Zell sat across from him and did the exact same thing. They weren't really related but they _did_ look a lot like brothers.

"Might as well sit down, guys," Zell suggested. Irvine and I took seats.

"While I'm here, I might as well ask about Oonagh," Konnor began. "I saw her with… Instructor Oren, I think, in the cafeteria. It looked to me that they were more than just friends. I _told_ you she'd find someone else. Bet you wish you'd listened to me. So, have you given up on her?"

"More like letting her go than giving up," Zell grunted.

"He's giving up!" I chirped. Zell looked annoyed at my interruption but didn't say anything. "Just because he made one little mistake, he's going to totally give up." Konnor sighed and shook his head.

"Honestly, little bro. Weren't you listening when I gave you advice?"

"You don't understand, big bro! It's different for you! You and Irvine are good with women. Me? I couldn't even tell the one girl I liked how I felt."

"You think I'm good with women?" Irvine chuckled. "You got me all wrong, Zell! Sure I could flirt, but I wasn't any good at askin' Selphie to the Festival."

"At least _she_ accepted you," Zell sighed. "I asked Oonagh, but… I guess we all know how _that_ went."

"Don't think about it," Konnor suggested. "What you gotta do now is think of how you can fix things. Listen to your big brother, now. You find her and tell her how you feel. No matter what happens, she's gotta know how you feel about her."

"Not yet," I argued. "It wouldn't seem right to do that yet. You know, because of Walter."

"That's what I've been saying this whole time!" Zell declared.

"I meant it differently," I told him. _I really hate to tell him this, but it feels like the right thing to do. Hyne forgive me._ "She still likes you." I got the reaction I was expecting.

"What?"

"Hey, you still got a chance, little bro! She just said Oonagh still likes you!" Konnor cried. Zell looked numb. I wondered if he was going to faint.

"She… does? Are you sure, Sellie?"

"She told me herself."

"Then why's she with Walter?" Irvine asked.

"That's pretty obvious! It's because she thought he didn't like her! That's how most of _my_ girlfriends ditch me. See, bro? You should listen to me!" Konnor had a smug grin on his face. "I told him time and time again that girls need to know you care, but he didn't listen to me. See where it got you, bro? Your girl's got another guy and you're here sulking!"

"And you're not really helping the situation," Zell added.

"Now that I know what's going on, I'm gonna do my damn best to get you out there and trying to get that girl back!" I grinned. That was exactly what I wanted to do. "I bet you're gonna listen to your big bro from now on, huh?"

"I listen to you, bro. I just don't always take your advice."

"Well, you'd better take it now before you lose her for good."

"What do I do, Mr. Ladies' Man?" I felt very out of things. Irvine was keeping quiet. Watching those two made me think they were actually brothers. I had to keep reminding myself that they weren't related.

"I suggest you wait. It wouldn't do for you to tell her you like her if she's already got a guy. Maybe hang around her and be nice. You know, show her you care about her. Go in the library, eat with utensils, all that stuff you used to do when you were with her."

"Hey, I know!" I shouted, slapping my palms together. I had just gotten a great idea. "Do you guys have a song?"

"A song?" Zell frowned.

"Yeah, a song. Like Squall and Rinoa's song is 'Eyes on Me'. Do you have a song like that?"

"I… don't think so."

"But Zell! Every couple needs a song!"

"We ain't got a song," Irvine reminded me.

"I know, Irvy, but we haven't been a couple long enough." I turned back to Zell. "You should write her a song!"

"But I can't…"

"Great idea!" Konnor interrupted. "Zell's a good singer, believe it or not."

"Bro, I can't write a song!" Zell complained.

"You want Oonagh or not?" Irvine demanded.

"Uh… I want her."

"Then you'll write a song. It doesn't matter if it's good or not. If you write it with love, that's all that matters. Ain't that right, Sellie?" He squeezed my hand.

"Absolutely!"

"We all agree!" Konnor announced. "Now you've _got_ to write a song, bro!"

"But…"

"Zell," Konnor interjected, "didn't I once tell you to do whatever you could to get the girl you were meant to be with? If it takes a song, then you're gonna write a song. Now quit being such a big sissy and do what your big brother says!"

"Fine! I'll write a song!"

"That's my bro!" Konnor laughed. He grabbed Zell and gave him a rough head-rub. Zell was grinning. I was glad Konnor showed up when he did. I felt a whole lot better about the whole Zell and Oonagh situation. Zell could take care of things for a while.

"Now that _that's_ taken care of, there's someone I want you to meet, Konnor!" I chirped.

_____

Irvine and I didn't tell Konnor where we were taking him or who he was about to meet. He wasn't concerned. He assured us that he would be thrilled to meet any friends of ours. Of course it would help a great deal if there were beautiful women among them. I assured him there were, but was careful not to reveal that these girls were already taken. We finally came to our destination.

"Wait here," I instructed, pointing down to the ground.

"Okay," Konnor shrugged. I left him with Irvine and went to where the posse was waiting.

"You guys are about to meet a really neat guy. Angel, Fujin. I have to warn you guys that he's a bit flirty."

"Like Irvine?" Fujin smiled.

"Sort of. Come on." They followed me around the corner. I presented them to Konnor proudly. His mouth dropped.

"Seifer? Is that you?"

"Konnor?" To my surprise, the two smiled at each other and embraced like old friends. Irvine scratched the side of his head. He looked just as confused as I was. Konnor held Seifer at arm's length.

"I haven't seen you in a long time, man! How's everything?" 

"I've been doing a lot better. How long has it been, anyway?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure you didn't have a scar the last time I saw you." Konnor's smile widened when he spotted Fujin and Raijin. "Hey, it's Fujin and Raijin! Come on over here, you guys!" They obeyed. Angel and Jake quietly followed, looking a little awkward. At least I wasn't the only one that didn't know what was going on.

"Konnor, how do you know the posse?" I asked timidly.

"Oh, I got stuck in detention about every day. We got to be pretty good friends." _So that's where Zell gets it._ "You've been taking care of my little bro, Seifer?"

"No. Selphie, Irvine, Squall, and Quistis have been watching him. He and I never really hit it off." Seifer shrugged his shoulders. "It's kind of strange. You guys are like brothers, but I can get along with you."

"I'm telling ya, it's 'cause you two are so much alike." 

"That's what I think too!" I added. _So Konnor is friends with the posse too. This is just too cool!_ "I told Zell that he reminded me of Seifer."

"I am _not_ like him at all!" Seifer denied.

"Who're the newcomers?" Konnor wondered, noticing Angel and Jake. 

"My name is Angel." Her hand was kissed.

"I'm Jake."

"Nice to meet you both. You guys with the posse or something?" Angel blushed and discreetly slipped her hand around Seifer's arm.

"You could say that." Konnor's eyes bugged out of his head.

"Damn, Seifer! I find my bro by himself and you with a babe! There truly _is_ justice in this world! Hahaha! I wouldn't be surprised at all if this guy's dating Fujin." Jake grinned in embarrassment.

"You're just upset that you didn't get me first," Fujin smiled.

"True," Konnor admitted. "I still have hope if Quistis is single." He turned to me expectantly. "She _is_ single, right?"

"Uh…" I thought about Nida. He had been so happy with Quistis. I wondered what she thought about him. "As far as I know."

"Score! Hey, if my bro gets his ass in gear, maybe we can all hang out together. Let's see, that'd be a… quadruple date. Four couples."

"Five couples," I corrected. "We can't forget about Squall and Rinoa."

"Well, _however_ many of us there are, we should definitely get together." Irvine nudged me with his elbow.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that Konnor really _was_ Zell's older brother!" he whispered. I nodded in agreement.

"Seifer, you remember my terms?" Konnor questioned. "You can't make fun of Zell while I'm around. I get to do that."

"You got it, Konnor." Konnor turned to us with a huge grin on his face. I could've sworn I was staring at an older version of Zell with his hair cut short.

"Now all we gotta do is wait on my little bro!" I had a bad feeling that it was going to be a long wait.


	22. Dating

22: Dating

There were times in the past where I wanted to be in more than one place at the same time. Another such desire came over me in the days that followed. Since we all agreed to not break up Walter and Oonagh, or help Zell with his song, we had nothing to do. So all of us couples decided we should really be with the person we were currently dating. I think I was the only one that was aching to know what everyone else was doing on their dates. Quistis was the only one not dating and Konnor was determined to fix that little problem.

Irvine and I were walking down the hall hand in hand and we just so happened to come across those same two people. Okay, okay, we did it on purpose! We were both curious to see how Konnor would try and get Quistis to go on a date with him. Well, anyway, we saw them and stayed out of sight so we could watch what was going on. I know it's not nice to spy on people, but you kind of forget things like that when you've got nothing to do. Okay, we did have stuff to do, but you know what I mean!

"Hey, beautiful lady! Have you seen Quistis anywhere?"

"Konnor Bonaparte. I was wondering what happened to you." _Quistis knows him too? Why doesn't anyone tell me anything?_

"Were you worried?"

"Yes, but don't get any ideas."

"It's been a while since I've seen you. I must say I've never seen you so beautiful." Quistis rolled her eyes. "You're not seeing anyone, are you?"

"Konnor, I've told you before: I'm not interested in you."

"Ah, come on, Quistis!"

"No, I don't think so. I've seen how you treat all your other girlfriends. Not even Irvine is as bad as you."

"I swear I won't flirt with another girl if you go out with me. Just one date?" He gave her a pleading look. _I bet he flirts with all those other girls, but he really likes Quistis. _Quistis shook her head. "Are you scared you're gonna fall in love with me?"

"I just don't want to be around you. You're far too flirtatious for me." Konnor's smile dropped.

"You've got a boyfriend, don't you?" Quistis turned bright red. "Yeah, I thought so. Well, that's cool. Hey, do you have any lady friends that are single?" _Oh, my Hyne! He is worse than Irvine!_ At my side, Irvine was shaking with silent chuckles. I poked him in the stomach.

"You are perhaps the most impossible man I've ever known in my entire life. No wonder you can't keep a girlfriend!"

"There are just too many beautiful women in the world!" Konnor laughed. 

"Right. Well, why don't you go and find one?"

"Sure thing, doll. Quistis, once we've all got somebody, we should all hang out together. You know, you and the rest of the gang, the posse, and our respective dates. What do ya think?"

"Maybe."

"That's good enough for me! I'll see ya around, then!" Konnor waved and ran off to find another girl to flirt with. _There goes one weird guy._ I noticed that Quistis had made no effort to correct Konnor about her having a boyfriend. Did she do that just so he would go away, or did she really have a guy? Well, there was only one way to find out!

"Irvy, let's go talk to Quistis," I whispered.

"Let me guess: you wanna find out if she's really got a boyfriend, right?"

"Yep!"

"So do I. Let's go." I'm so glad we agree on stuff. We stepped out of the shadows and confronted Quistis.

"Oh, hi, guys. How are you two getting along?"

"Fine," I assured her. "Hey, Quistis, there's something I want to ask you."

"Yes? What is it?" I paused, trying to think of the best way to phrase it.

"Do you really got a boyfriend?" Irvine asked. Quistis and I stared at him. Poor Quistis looked confused and I was a little mad that he blurted it out. Not that I wouldn't have done the same thing.

"Were you two eavesdropping?"

"We couldn't help it, Quisty!" I whined. "We wanted to know what you'd say to him! Please don't be mad!" Quistis chuckled.

"I'm not mad. I suppose I should be grateful for friends that are concerned about me. And for your information, I don't _technically_ have a boyfriend." She smiled slyly.

"You just let Konnor think that so he'd leave you alone?" Irvine awed.

"Not exactly."

"Wait… what?" I frowned.

"Allow me to explain. The difference between a male friend and a boyfriend is that you have romantic feelings for the boyfriend. If the definition of a boyfriend was someone that you spend time with and whom seems to care a great deal for you, then I already have one. I have no romantic feelings for this individual, so he's not _technically_ my boyfriend."

"Who is it?" I asked eagerly. She winked at me.

"I think you know." She quietly walked away, leaving Irvine and I to ponder. _Not technically her boyfriend? Who do I know that she hangs out with? Zell, Irvine, and Squall. Hmm… Oh, wait. Of course!_

"It's Nida!" I cried.

"Where?"

"No. I mean, Nida's her 'boyfriend'!"

"You sure about that?"

"Well, I donno for sure, but it makes sense. Besides, the way she said 'I think you know' just gave me this _feeling_ it was Nida."

"Well! I always knew there was a ladies' man somewhere inside that shy shell of his! I guess it just took a gal like Quistis to bring it out."

"Yeah. Hey, let's outside using the 'secret' exit."

"All right!" He offered me his elbow and we went out together. We just sat there and talked and enjoyed each other's company for the next four hours or so. All our classes were in the morning so we had afternoons to ourselves, and we took full advantage of this privilege.

_____

(The next few parts I wasn't around to actually see. Luckily my friends described them later in detail, so it was almost like I was there. I wish I had been, but that would've ruined the whole scene! Well, anyway…)

After we left Quistis, she had time to herself for all that fun stuff that Instructors enjoy. Grading papers, grading tests, and other stuff like that. She had a full load of work ahead of her and she was beginning to dwindle this load when there was a knock at her door. She sighed in exasperation. She was certain it was Konnor back to bug her about a date. She opened her door only to find Nida on the other side. Quistis later told me that Nida looked handsome in his SeeD uniform. He really _does_ look handsome, especially for such a quiet guy that doesn't really stand out.

"Quistis? Pardon me for interrupting you."

"That's all right, Nida. Is there anything wrong?"

"No. I was just, ah… wondering if maybe you would, ah… like to, ah… maybe… go on a, um… date with… me." By the time he finished that sentence poor Nida was as red as a beet.

"What?" Quistis was blushing too.

"Please don't make me say that again! I don't think I can manage to get the words out!"

"Nida, are you asking me out on a date? As in, a boyfriend-girlfriend date?"

"Well, I…"

"I would be delighted to." This left Nida speechless. Quistis took his arm and pretty much had to guide the surprised man down the hall. Nida got control of himself and treated Quistis to the one thing he was very good at: listening. Their whole date was Quistis talking and Nida listening. Nida inserted a few words here and there but he mostly stayed quiet. This may sound like a strange date but Quistis thought it was the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for her. They agreed that on their next date (which was the very next evening) Nida would do the majority of the talking.

_____

From the beginning Fujin and Jake seemed like a strange pair. Fujin acted tough and loud, but she was really a shy and quiet girl. Jake was an extrovert for real and a very nice guy. Kind of weird that he's training to be a gunblade expert. Anyway, they didn't seem like they would hit it off very well and yet they did. I wish I knew more about how they met and how they grew to like each other _that way_ because they really are cute together. 

Before Jake asked Fujin to the Festival, their excuse to see each other was the fact that Jake was teaching Fujin how to read. But now that all their friends knew they were an item, they didn't bother making excuses. Their dates were always out of the blue and never planned. One would suggest a date and they'd agree to go that very evening with no plans. They would sometimes just sit and stare at the stars without speaking a word for hours at a time.

Fujin and Jake assured me they haven't kissed yet, but I sometimes have my doubts. They hold hands a lot and Jake sometimes kisses Fujin on her eye patch. If they really haven't kissed yet, I hope I get to be there when they do. Jake is like my little brother and Fujin is as close a friend as I can have outside the orphanage gang, except for Oonagh and Rinoa. 

_____

Speaking of Rinoa, I had always wondered what she and Squall did on their dates. They had been a couple for a while but I never thought to ask what sort of things they did together. Squall didn't seem to me the romantic type. So I finally got up the nerve to ask Rinoa directly. She told me that it was always something different, and, believe it or not, Squall was _very_ romantic.

She told me of one date in particular where Squall took her out on a cruise. Really! He rented a boat and the two of them sailed around the island. They didn't speak much but Squall made a compliment to Rinoa about how she looked in the moonlight. I guess when you're with the one you love, even people like Squall can be sensitive and romantic. I mean, up until a couple days ago I never expected Fujin or Seifer to find someone special. I guess anything can happen when love's involved. 

_____

I have no idea what's been going on with Oonagh and Walter. Oonagh used to tell me everything about her dates with him. But lately she hasn't told me anything at all. I tried to ask Walter but he wasn't any help. He may be a nice guy, but he's still a guy, and guys can't really describe a date the same way girls do. So I've been unceremoniously left in the dark concerning those two. What a bummer!

_____

All I have to say about Konnor is that he honestly cannot keep a girlfriend for very long. That guy goes through more women than I do socks. I am _so_ glad that Irvine isn't as bad as he is! I asked him why he's so flirty, and he told me it was because he liked the attention. Boy, did that sound like a Zell response. Konnor also told me that he once had a girlfriend that he really liked. He didn't say her name or what she looked like but I'm guessing she was one of a kind, because he had a dreamy sort of look on his face when he talked about her. One day they had a fight and the girl left the Garden and never came back. That would explain why Konnor's determined that Zell gets Oonagh back.

_____

Once I found out Angel and Seifer were an item, I just _had_ to find out more about that girl. Apparently she transferred here after the posse returned and she had no idea that Seifer was the sorceress knight. She and Seifer met and they claimed it was love at first sight. Angel told me that Seifer asked her to the Festival before he even knew what her name was. The two just clicked from there, obviously. Angel's a quiet, sweet, loving girl that seems to like everything about Seifer that made him so disliked by everyone else. I say, you go girl!

Their dates are kind of a cross between Squall and Rinoa's dates and mine and Irvine's dates. They hang out and do fun stuff together but they also go to romantic places and Seifer makes it a point to compliment her every time they're out. Their meeting was sudden and their attraction towards one another was even more sudden, but when I catch them together they look really happy. I can tell they're going to be a cute couple that will stand the test of time. I'm so happy for Seifer!

_____

Raijin hasn't found anyone special yet but he doesn't seem like the type that would settle down with anyone. He claims he's happy for the rest of us. He's kind of like our love enforcer. If any of us got in a fight with our boyfriend or girlfriend, he would go and make sure we patch things up.

"Just making sure everything turns out all right, ya know?" he says. I'm glad that he's single, because he's also there to remind us that we were friends before we were lovers. It was a great time whenever the whole gang was together. When I say the "whole gang" I mean pretty much everybody except for Zell and Oonagh. I convinced Squall and Rinoa to join our little group but I still haven't gotten Oonagh. Zell's been busy with his song. If he didn't have that, he probably would've been hanging out with us.

_____

The one thing I couldn't get out of my head during this time was: What in the world is going on between Oonagh and Walter? Why doesn't anybody ever tell me anything?!

Author's note: I think it's now safe to tell you that I originally planned for this to be a Zellphie but I obviously changed my mind. I decided to pair Zell up with Oonagh, who is the "library girl" if you haven't figured it out already. Read on to see how I get them together!


	23. For Love

23: For Love

I was coming back from a date with Irvine. I was in a giddy mood and I kept bursting into giggles. I managed to get inside my dorm. There I immediately sobered up. Oonagh had her head resting on the table and her thin body was shaking with sobs. I stood there for a moment watching her. I don't know why, but at that instant I knew that the problem had to do with Walter. I waited a moment longer before I spoke.

"Are you okay, Oonagh?"

"Oh, Miss Petite." She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "I didn't hear you come in."

"What'd he do to you?"

"Who?"

"_You_ know who! Walter, that's who!" Her anguished face was answer enough. _To think I thought he was a nice guy! How dare he break Oonagh's heart?_

"He…. broke up with me." Tears traveled down her cheeks. 

"When?"

"A few minutes ago."

"I'm going to go over there and tell him what for!" I just couldn't believe Walter would do that! I honestly thought he cared about Oonagh! She stood up and hastily put her hand on my arm.

"Don't. Please don't."

"He needs a verbal bashing!" I insisted.

"Don't, Selphie. Please."

"I won't let him get away with this! What'd he say to you?"

"He simply said it would be better for the both of us if we parted ways. Please don't cause any trouble on my account." That was just like her. Even when she was heartbroken she would be protective of people. But Walter had to give me an explanation. I wanted to know _why_ he was dumb enough to break up with a great girl like Oonagh.

"And you're satisfied with that? Aren't you the least bit curious as to why he wanted to end it?"

"I suppose it was because he lost interest in me," she mumbled.

"Well, I'm not going to rest until I know exactly why! I'm really sorry, Oonagh, but I just _gotta_ talk to him!"

"If you must, please refrain from yelling at him too severely."

"I'll try, but I'll make no promises!!"

"Thank you, Miss Petite. You're a good friend," Oonagh smiled. She needed to be alone for a while anyway so I stormed off in search of Walter. _That guy better have a good explanation. I can't believe he did this! What a jerk! Here I thought he was a great guy but on the inside he's really just a jerk!_

_____

I was still a little angry but I had cooled off considerably. I tried looking in the library first but he wasn't there. I tried the dorms and for some reason the training room. No Walter. I couldn't think of very many places where he would be. If he wasn't in his room, and he wasn't in the library, where else would he go? His classroom, I guess. So I went to get on the elevator.

"Sellie! Where ya goin'?" Zell ran up to me and greeted me with a smile. "Hey, guess what! I got the song finished!"

"No time, Zell!" I hissed. 

"What's wrong with _you_?"

"I'm mad at Walter 'cause he broke up with Oonagh!" That probably wasn't the smartest thing for me to do, but… oh, well.

"He _what_?" Zell gasped. "That dirty little rat! He's gonna pay big time for that! How _dare_ he hurt Oonagh? Why, I'll…. I'll… I don't know what I'll do, but I'm sure gonna make him feel sorry!"

"Zell, calm down. Oonagh doesn't want us to hurt him. We just need to figure out what his problem is."

"Yeah. Let's go and straighten this thing out." It probably wasn't a good idea to bring Zell along but I guess that was better than letting him loose on Walter by himself. The two of us entered his classroom and saw him standing by the entrance. It was almost like he was waiting for us.

"Hello," he greeted.

"What's your problem, buster?" Zell demanded. "Oonagh really liked you and you ditched her! You'd better have a good reason for it, buddy!" Zell looked _really_ angry. I only saw him this angry once before, and that was when the posse came back.

"It was because of you."

"Me?" Zell echoed.

"Yes, you," Walter nodded. "I do care about Oonagh, but I just couldn't stay with her knowing you liked her as well. So you could say I did it for love."

"You let her go… because of _me_?"

"That's right."

"Wow. That's the most romantic thing I've ever heard!" I gushed. Zell and Walter stared at me strangely. I smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

"But I don't get it, Walt. Why do you want _me_ to be with her? If you like her so much, I mean?"

"You are the one she cares most about, Zell," Walter answered. 

"Really?"

"It was obvious to me the first day I met her. I was quite taken with her and my spirits were high when she agreed to go on a date with me. Even so, you are in her heart and I fear I cannot replace you."

"I'm sorry, man," Zell whispered.

"Don't be."

"You are _such_ a nice guy, Walter!" I declared.

"All I want is for Oonagh to be happy, and I firmly believe she will be happier with Zell." Zell's eyes were beginning to mist over.

"You're wrong. She can't be happy with me. When she and I were… well, when I liked her, I never really showed how much I cared. We're wrong; we're too different."

"Sorry to butt in again, but you're just what she needs, Zell!" I told him. 

"What're you talking about?"

"Duh! She doesn't need someone serious like Walter. No offense, of course. She needs someone that'll pull her away from the books every now and then. She needs to laugh and have fun. Most of all, she needs _you_. Don't you get it, Zell? That's why you fell for her in the first place! She's everything you're not and you're everything she's not. It's perfect!"

"Opposites," said Zell huskily.

"That's right," I agreed, "but that's exactly why you're so right for each other. Isn't that right, Walter?"

"Precisely."

"Thanks, man," Zell smiled, shaking Walter's hand. "I don't really know what to say."

"Just make her happy. That's all I ask."

"I'm still not sure if I can, but I'll sure as hell do my best."

"What are _you_ going to do, Walter?" I asked. 

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I haven't gotten that far yet."

"Well, you just take care of yourself, okay? Come on, Zell. Let's go." I took Zell by the arm and dragged him out of the classroom.

"I still can't believe he did that for me…."

"Yeah, Walter's a really great guy."

"I was so willing to just let her go," Zell sighed. "Man, that would've been stupid. She and Walter might've been good together, but what would I do? I mean, she's the girl I'm meant to be with. I'm sure of it."

"Yeah, but don't tell her that yet. I'll watch over her and tell you when the time is right, okay?"

"Sure. Okay."

"And Zell?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't mess up this time." 


	24. Her Song

24: Her Song

My sense of fun was severed when Walter broke up with Oonagh. I didn't tell her _exactly_ why he had done it but I assured her everything would work out in the end. I stayed with her in the library or our dorm most of the time. I tried enlisting the help of my friends and they did help a little bit. Rinoa fixed up Oonagh's hair and Quistis pretty much bought her a new wardrobe. It was Angel that was the most useful. She and Oonagh got to be close friends during that time. Thank Hyne for them all!

It wasn't until two weeks after that incident that I decided Oonagh was ready to be cheered up by Zell. At the end of week one she was asking about him but I waited until another week was over just to make sure she was ready. During that time I figured out that Oonagh kind of made herself believe she liked Walter so she wouldn't have to think about Zell so much. I thought I knew her really well but I never knew she had such strong feelings for Zell. I guess she buried them deep inside her heart so that no one would know; I think over time she was hoping to forget him. I guess that didn't work.

After two weeks I went to Zell and told him it was time. But of course it had to be special. There had to be a place where he could sing her the song that was special to the both of them. The only place Zell could think of that held any significance was the library. That was where they met each other for the first time. That would be a problem. Fujin, Jake, and I cleared out the library and warned people not to come in for a few hours. My next mission was to try and get Oonagh to come into the library without her suspecting anything. Luckily I'm a master of improvisation.

"Oonagh? I need you to do me a favor."

"What's that?"

"I got run out of the library again. Would you mind going in there and getting a book I left in there?" It was also lucky for me that I got kicked out of the library so frequently for being too loud.

"Miss Petite, not again! You're just like…" She paused.

"Zell?" I offered, grinning slyly.

"Yes. Zell." She blushed. "I know it's silly of me to be thinking of him. He doesn't care about me and I've had my heart broken twice. I suppose I'm just being silly."

"Things will work out," I assured her.

"I know. I'll go get that book."

"Okay!" I waited to make sure she was out of the room before I did a victory dance. _Please let this work!_

_____

Again, I didn't actually witness what followed but Zell told me everything later so it was almost like I was there. Zell was waiting for Oonagh in the designated spot. He was a little nervous but he was mostly excited. There was a book near where he was standing. That was the "bait" that was supposed to stall Oonagh long enough for him to make his move. She came in and went for the book just as planned. Zell waited until she picked it up before he made his presence known.

"Hey, Oonagh. How's it going?"

"Zell! You startled me!"

"Oonagh, I have to talk to you. It's really important."

"I can't stay for long," she said. 

"I know. Will you just listen to me?" She nodded. "Okay, um… Well, first off, I'm sorry about what happened with you and Walter."

"Thank you."

"But there's something else I'm even more sorry for than that. Something I've been kicking myself for since I did it. It was really stupid and I hope you'll forgive me." Zell's face was scrunched and he gazed at Oonagh pleadingly.

"What are you talking about, Zell?"

"I'm sorry I neglected you."

"What?"

"I'm sorry I neglected you. You know, back when…."

"Back when I liked you," she finished for him. "That's all right. It was foolish of me to feel so strongly for you. I'm sure it made you uncomfortable."

"I felt the same way as you did, Oonagh," he whispered. She sucked in a breath.

"You what?"

"I cared about you too. I was just too scared to admit it."

"That can't be true. It can't be…"

"Oonagh, I called you my girlfriend, and I really meant it! I'm so, _so_ sorry I never told you before. This probably isn't the best time for me to tell this to you, but I gotta say it! I just gotta let you know how I really feel." He paused and waited for her reaction. She stood there with her hands hanging limply at her side. She was on the verge of tears.

"I don't understand why you're doing this. Why are you saying these things to me?"

"Because they're true! I can't keep it in any longer."

"Stop it, Zell! You'll only hurt me more by lying to me!"

"Look at me! Do I look like I'm lying?"

"I can't Zell! I can't! I've wanted you to say this to me for so long, but how am I to know if it's true or not?" Zell closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"My gift is my song  
And this one is for you  
And you can tell everybody  
That this is your song.  
  


"And may be quite simple that  
Now that it's done  
I hope you don't mind  
I hope you don't mind  
That I put down in words  
How wonderful life is  
Now you're in the world!  
  


"Sat on the roof  
And I kicked off the moss  
Well singing these verses  
Well they, they got me quite cross  
But the sun's been kind  
While I wrote this song  
It's for people like you   
That keep it turned on.  
  


"So excuse me forgetting  
But these things I do  
You see I've forgotten  
If they're green or they're blue  
Anyway the thing is  
That I really love you  
Yours are the sweetest eyes  
That I've ever seen!  
  


"And you can tell everybody  
That this is your song  
And it may be quite simple  
But now that it's done.  
  


"I hope you don't mind  
I hope you don't mind  
That I put down in words  
How wonderful life is  
Now you're in the world!"

There was a moment of silence that hung between them after he finished the song. Oonagh stared at Zell for along time without saying a word. Zell's heart was pounding. The song had been an expression of how he truly felt about her. If she rejected him, his heart would break.

"Zell," Oonagh whispered, "why did you wait so long? My heart was breaking because I thought you didn't care."

"I know. I'm sorry about that."

"But I guess I hurt you when I left, didn't I?"

"Yeah."

"Thank you, Zell. Thank you so much for caring about me." He put his arms around her and kissed her on the forehead.

"I don't just care about you, Oonagh. I love you."

"Oh, Zell. Do you mean it?"

"I mean it. I'll never be shy of my emotions when I'm with you ever again. I promise." He gently kissed her on the lips.

__

How wonderful life is

Now you're in the world…

Author's note: The songwriting scenario was my excuse for putting in this song. It really does fit Zell and Oonagh, though. It's originally from _Moulin Rouge_. I know it seems strange that Zell would be a good singer, but I say 'Why not'. 


	25. All Together Now

25: All Together Now

Where to start? Well, the most exciting news I have is that Zell and Oonagh have been back together for a whole week and I've never seen the two of them happier. Walter seems to be doing well too. He hasn't gotten a new girlfriend but he likes it exactly the way things are now. Irvy and I have gotten so close since we got together. I could never imagine in my happiest dreams how much I love him and how much he loves me in return. It's really overwhelming. Then there's Quistis and Norris, Seifer and Angel, Fujin and Jake, Squall and Rinoa… Too much to tell!

Let me start with Squall and Rinoa. Squall has actually been very nice to the posse (I mean Seifer, Fujin, and Raijin) and I'm thinking it's because all the rest of us have made our peace with them. You would never know Squall was once an almost-silent warrior who didn't really care about anybody. Rinoa's changed him _so much_ and I say, you go girl! Another cool thing about Squall is that he plays big brother to Jake. Watching those two together is a really scary thing. I know they're not brothers but… man! They sure do act like it!

Speaking of brothers, Zell and Konnor renewed their friendship and are "brothers" once again. Konnor's still a major flirt and for some "strange reason" he likes flirting with the girls who have boyfriends. He tried flirting with Xu but it didn't take long for him to change his mind and go for someone else. The guy is impossible but he has a good heart and has good advice about dating (he being the expert). Zell is a completely different story. I thought I knew my best guy friend pretty well but when he got back with Oonagh I learned there was a side of Zell I never got to know. He's still the same guy; I'm not saying he's changed drastically. He's just more… how he's supposed to be, I guess. It's hard to explain.

As for Nida, he's finally stepped out of his shell and revealed his true personality. It's not all thanks to myself and Quistis, but we played a major role in it. Since he was "adopted" into our little group he willingly opened himself up a little more each day until we all got to know the real Nida. He's now in the same "family" as Zell and Konnor. Really! They decided to make him their brother. Just another one of their insane ideas. Quistis… ah, she hasn't changed much at all. Except for the fact that she's crazy about Nida, she's the exact same.

I mentioned that Jake and Squall are treating each other like brothers and that's the truth. I can't really explain much about that. I'm sure Jake will tell me. Anyway, I'm happy to announce that Jake is going to take the SeeD test. I really hope he passes too. That would be so cool! Fujin's been a lot more open since she and Jake have been going out. She's made a lot of friends and I sometimes find her talking to strangers. Rinoa turned her into a shopping fiend. We all go out and buy things all the time. It's weird to think that we were once nothing more than acquaintances. I'm proud to be her friend, and Jake's too.

I saved Seifer and Angel for last because… well, I'll get to that. First the good news: Seifer has been put back on the disciplinary committee. What's even better is that he'll be taking the SeeD exam with Jake. Perhaps the coolest thing, however, is that he, Zell, and Squall are friends. Not very good friends, but friends nonetheless. Angel is still quiet and mostly keeps to herself. I think that's just her personality. She's perfect that way, because Zell, Konnor, and I do enough talking for everyone else. Seeing Seifer and Angel together is really a great thing. I think I've said this a lot since they became a couple, but they are _so right_ for each other!

Two and a half months ago, I never would've guessed we would be where we are now. That just goes to show you how time can change people…

_____

*

Man, it's been crazy here! It's like we're all in this big soap opera or something! What with the Festival and all the shit I've had to put up with, it's a wonder I've stayed sane. I think now that all that bad stuff was worth it. Hell, I've had lots of good stuff happening to me recently that more than makes up for the bad stuff. Being away from Lene has made me realize how much I love her and how much I _need_ to be with her. I would never have figured it out if we hadn't gone our separate ways.

Lene? Oh, that's Oonagh. It's my pet name for her. See, her middle name is Celene, and I just call her Lene for short. I'm the only one that does that, though. That was my pet name for her since the beginning. I'd love to tell our story but it's kind of long. I might tell it another time. It's a great story, really. My big brother's involved in it, of course, and my ma too. Well, anyway, that's for another time. I find myself humming Lene's song a lot. I guess it's _our_ song now. At least we have one.

I've got another "older brother"! Yeah, really! Konnor and I decided to make Nida our brother. Nida's a bit older than me so he's the middle child. I'm the youngest! Yay! Konnor and I have been brothers for over two years; it'll take a while before Nida can truly be a brother of ours. I like Nida. He's really cool. I just wish he wasn't so damned quiet all the time! He's never gonna match up to me and Konnor if he keeps quiet like that! Hopefully with our supervision he'll get to be a bit louder.

Urgh, I can't believe I'm going to say this… I'm friends with Seifer. Yeah, that's right. Seifer and I are friends. He and I will never be able to be great friends with each other. We didn't even get along that well in the orphanage. But at least we can walk down the hall together without getting into a fight or cussing each other out. We had what girls like to call a "sleepover" and he and I got into the biggest pillow-fight of all time. It started out with just us, anyway, then Konnor decided to join in, then Jake, then Irvine, and even Squall swatted his pillow at us a couple times. What a blast!

Irvine and I are getting along as well as two guys that get into fights all the time can. The funny thing is that he and Konnor get into fights too. You'd think they'd get along! I mean, they're both flirts! Well, Irvine _was_ but I think Sellie's beaten that habit out of him. Anyway, he and Konnor set each other off easily. I kind of get the feel for how _my_ fights with Irvine look. Other than that they're pretty good friends. Irvine and I still have our skirmishes. I don't think we'll ever grow out of it. I'm kind of glad I'm rooming with him 'cause… well, he _did_ play a big role in getting me back with Lene.

A lot has changed, and a lot has happened, but it all turned out okay in the end. Thank Hyne for that.

_____

*

I have something to say.

When all of this started, I never expected that the end result would find me back in the arms of the one man I truly cared for. I feel badly for leading Walter on, but I was lonely and depressed after my breakup with Zell. I suppose Walter was an easy target. I went out of my way to apologize to him recently; apparently he was none the worse from the experience and assured me that all was well. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had stayed with Walter. I am glad I did not. I belong with Zell.

Oonagh Celene Dincht… I love the sound of that….

_____

*

How could I tell her? I fell for her the instant I spotted her, even was so bold as to ask her to the Festival without even knowing her name. She knew all about my past and still she chose to dance with me, to smile at me, and to put her arms around me. Is Hyne so kind? She truly is an angel and I… I really do………….. Oh, I don't think I can say it! It's such a strange word to say. It doesn't seem _right_ somehow to express my emotions this way. Could this one word really hold such an emotion?

I honestly have never felt this way before. Rinoa was a crush, really. Nothing big. This is something else entirely. I don't just want to be with her. I want to protect her too. I care about her on the same level as my other friends, and at the same time there's a deeper level in my heart for her. I want to tell her how I feel. Things like this shouldn't be bottled up inside. How can I, though? It feels like if I say the wrong thing then that's it. That's the only chance I get. I know that's not true but that's how I feel.

"Angel?"

"Hmm?" She gazed up at me, her eyes shining. Dear Hyne, she's beautiful. As I gazed at her I had the sudden image of a gun pointing at my head. What if somewhere out there, someone still hated me for what I did? My actions were inexcusable but I had long repented of them. But still, what if? I couldn't put her through that. But… I just had to tell her!

"I… uh, I love you." Before while I was thinking about what to say, those words didn't seem right. After I said them I realized that was exactly what I wanted to say.

"Seifer… I love you, too." I was too happy for words, too happy for anything. I just stood there smiling, and holding her hand in mine. 

_____

*

I hold a very deadly weapon in my hands. With a gunblade I can cause pain. I can kill people with my weapon. With this same weapon I can protect people. I would much rather prefer the latter. The thought of blood staining my hands sends shivers down my spine. I don't think I could bring myself to touch Fujin knowing my hands were like that. How can Squall live knowing he has ended people's lives? I guess that's the sort of thing you get used to in war.

I joined the Garden soon after the defeat of Ultimecia. From day one I wanted to be a gunblade specialist like Squall. I got in the Garden and was caught up in a whirlwind called the Garden committee. My wish came true, however, and I was even so lucky as to train under the master himself. I guess I rubbed off on him because after a while he treated me like a brother. Almost to the point where I called him "brother" once and got away with it. I wasn't too comfortable with that so I stuck with calling him by his name. Zell and Konnor can act like brothers; that's fine with me. It's just not something I'd like to do, especially if it concerns Squall. I admire Squall and although I don't want to be _exactly_ like him, I do want to be _somewhat_ like him.

Fujin holds a deadly weapon in her pale hands. I once asked her if her hands ever felt stained with blood. She gave me a sad look that spoke volumes more than words ever could. What brought us close together was one time in the library she started quietly sobbing. It was sudden and I didn't know what to do for her. All I could think of was to hold her, so that's what I did. I had heard stories of her and how strong she was. In my arms she became weak and helpless, a young woman who needed someone to love her. My heart went out to her in that moment. SHORT, BUT TRUTH, as Fujin would say. I love her. I really do.

_____

*

All this lovey-dovey stuff is makin' me sick, ya know? I'm really happy for my sister and all my friends, but a guy can only take so much! I can't even hang out with Zell without risking a mushy scene. As for Seifer, he and Angel are inseparable, ya know? I told 'em they might as well get hitched 'cause they already act like they are. Still, I wouldn't trade a single day of happiness that my friends get to have now for all the days we spent in the past unhappy. They're my friends, so I can deal with it. I'm just glad they're happy, ya know?

_____

*

Reneigh… I wonder where you are?

It's not like I haven't been trying to find you. I sent letters all over the place. I've been looking. Hyne, please don't let Reneigh be dead. My little bro's back with Oonagh so now it's my turn to reunite with _my_ only love. If I can ever find her…… If I had known I would never see her again, I would've done something differently. That was why I was so determined for my bro to not give up. I just wanted to protect him from what could happen. That's what a big brother does.

Hey, speaking of brothers, should I……….? No, maybe for some other time. 

_____

My name is Selphina Marianne Tilmitt. I'm eighteen years old. I have two best friends, Zell and Oonagh, who are crazy about each other. I have a really handsome, sweet boyfriend named Irvine Kinneas. He used to be a big flirt before he and I got together and luckily he hasn't gone back to his old ways. Zell has an "older brother", Konnor, who's a really big flirt. He and Zell are a lot a like, so much so that I wonder whether or not they're related.

There are too many stories to tell of all the things we've done once we all got to be friends. We've been through a lot together. That's how life goes: pleasures and pains make up each day and through the help of friends we survive the lowest lows and celebrate the highest highs. I can't begin to tell all our stories but I think I told the most important one: how we got to where we are. 

Someone once said "all the world's a stage". If that's true, those days I just finished describing were like a dance. A dance that brought us to our knees, that lifted us up, and grew us together. I couldn't take lessons for this kind of dance, but I discovered that the best part of life is what you don't plan for. I'm not perfect but on the stage of life I'll dance my heart out. That's how I think life is meant to be lived.

~_Fin_

Closing comments: I sincerely hope you enjoyed this story. I tried to make the narrators fairly obvious in this chapter so I hope you know who's speaking. Thank you for reading! I'm highly considering writing a prequel to this story but I'll only do it if enough people are interested. 


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